Beyond
by ToManyLetters
Summary: Sequel to Give Yourself Away. After discovering Voldemort's return at the end of the school year, Pansy and Harry follow through with their wedding. Angry mommy Parkinson isn't the only thing they'll have to be worried about.
1. Before the Wedding

**A/N:  
Welcome to the third part of the "Never Alone" series. If you have not read books one and two, this story may be rather confusing for you. You can access "Never Alone" (Part I) and "Give Yourself Away" (Part II) from my profile by clicking my name.**

**If you are already familiar with the Never Alone series, I want to thank you for your continued support for book three. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

** Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

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**Chapter One – Before the Wedding**

* * *

Voldemort had returned. 

Oh, yes. How _very_ true that was.

But even he couldn't raise the same sort of chaos that was preparing for a wedding. He (Harry that is, not Snake-Face) and Pansy had been running non-stop all week. Not to mention the efforts the Maid of Honor, Hermione, had put forth. They'd have dropped dead on their first day without her.

They'd spent the whole of the week organizing the clothing for the various people asked and assigned to help with the wedding. Hermione, it would seem, was quite on top of things. She stayed up late, got up early, and, unless she had a question to ask, was completely silent the entirety of the day.

This, of course, irritated Ron some, as it was his girlfriend that he was unable to spend any time with. Pansy tried distracting him from that fact by piling stuff up for him to do, but this only annoyed him further. He did, however, do the work assigned to him.

Harry, as it was, was currently digging through a pile... a _heap_ of papers searching for the set-up of the wedding. He would need to get the paper to Dumbledore immediately if the House-Elves were to have everything in place by 7 p.m., the time of the wedding.

Harry'd been awaiting the arrival of Pansy's bridesmaids all day. Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour, whom they had befriended last school year with the reinstatement of the Triwizard Tournament, happily accepted the plea to fill that most demanding role.

He then remembered that Gabrielle would be attending Hogwarts and smiled. Then he frowned. If this wedding didn't go well, he'd hear about it all year.

The doorbell rang at Parkinson Manor, _Potter_ Manor as Pansy preferred it. Sighing slightly as he put the top of the stack back down with the rest, Harry rose from his seat and made his way to the door.

Blinking to save time, 'cause he's good like that, Harry swung the door open.

Before him were the two smiling faces of the bridesmaids for their wedding. It was tomorrow, of course, but, seeing as they were from France, it was far easier for them to stay the night and travel with them to the Black Lake the following day.

Hugging them, both Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour, that is, Harry ushered them inside and closed the door. Pansy walked down the stairs and greeted them as well.

Hermione stayed busy in the next room over.

"Eez zere anytheeng we can do to 'elp?" asked Fleur innocently as little Gabrielle walked around the living room.

"Oh, yes." said Hermione grabbing her arm immediately, "C'mere!"

Fleur's eyes bulged as she was whisked off into the neighboring room.

"She should never have asked," laughed Pansy, reaching for the doorknob as the bell rung once again.

It was Dumbledore. There he stood in their doorway, clad in robes of pure white. His white hair was neatly combed and hung down at his sides. He smiled,

"Pansy, Harry," he said quietly, inviting himself in, "You wanted me to be the one to marry you, yes?" he asked, taking a seat as Pansy closed the door.

"Yes," Pansy blurted as she stepped in front of the old man, "Is something wrong, sir?"

"Oh, no." he said simply, smiling, his blue eyes twinkling ever so slightly, "It's just the first time I've been asked." he chuckled. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Dumbledore's eyes bulged much as Fleur's had when Hermione charged into the room, grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the same room she had imprisoned Fleur and Gabby.

"She makes a brilliant Maid of Honor," said Pansy, failing to fight back laughter as the door closed.

"And that she does." said Harry, laughing a little himself as he went over the seating for the wedding, "And that she does."

**A/N: And there we have it! The start of year 5! I hope to see some brilliant reviews! Thanks for all of you who have stuck with the series, hope to see you enjoy this as much as you did "Never Alone" and "Give Yourself Away".**


	2. The Ceremony

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Two – The Ceremony  
**

* * *

**  
**It was the morning of the wedding... or perhaps the mourning of the wedding... Harry had yet to decide. 

Harry quickly went down the checklist with Pansy as they crossed each item off.

"Make checkmark on paper..." Harry added sarcastically to the list after reading the last item off. He motioned making a quick checkmark, then grinning, watched as Pansy stared at him,

"Er," she tried stealing a glance into his eyes, and waving her hand in front of his face, "Harry, Voldemort is calling, he wants his tutu back."

"Cross item out..." he continued, redirecting his eyes to where he was scribbling on the bottom of the page, "No time for that, I'm afraid."

"I think we broke him." groaned Pansy, attempting to swipe at the list.

"You did it." said Ron. "Don't go blaming me."

Harry puffed up his chest and pretended to read one final item,

"And finally say, 'that seems pretty senseless, but, whatever!'." Harry chuckled, sighed a little, and looked up at the ceiling,

"Don't even..." grunted Hermione.

"Well, that seems pretty senseless, but, whatever!" Harry said, ignoring Hermione completely. He was in his own little world. Muggle police would have already arrested him for suspicion of being intoxicated on illegal substances. Pansy had never seen Harry so stressed, or so... dumb. Even seeing him as the snotty Gryffindor before they befriended had never afforded her such a look into his personality.

Pansy rolled her eyes, but an agitated Hermione spoke,

"I swear!" she said, snatching the list from him, "I'm never letting you watch _The Stupids_ again!" she scanned the list with her own eyes, "Are Fleur and Gabby ready?" she asked, tucking the list into her pocket.

"Oui, we are coming!" shouted Fleur, dragging Gabrielle down the stairs by her wrist.

"You have the Portkey?" asked Ron, taking Hermione's hand for what seemed like the first time in an eternity.

Hermione stared at Harry as he stood with a blank expression on his face,

"Oh!" he hit himself on the head as he came back to reality. "That!" he then raced into the kitchen and returned carrying an old lamp, "Of course... I knew..."

"Eez he normally so... 'out zere'?" asked Fleur, raising an eyebrow at the black-haired boy before her who nearly tripped on the cord of the lamp. The stress of the wedding certainly seemed to be playing its toll on Harry's mental stability.

Pansy and Hermione just shook their heads as they each took hold of some part of the lamp. Gabrielle and Fleur did the same, Gabby crawling in between the small space between Hermione and Harry.

Harry felt the disgustingly familiar feeling of being pulled from behind the navel as he felt the ground shift beneath him.

"I'm not sure I like traveling like that," said Harry in a small voice, dropping his hold on the lamp and unconsciously grabbing Pansy's hand and squeezing gently, "It... brings back memories."

Pansy pulled him into a hug and kissed his forehead comfortingly.

The six of them walked gradually to where the ceremony was to be held. Row upon row of chair was set, the gazebo erected, and a delicate rose petal carpet lay between the aisles.

After a few finishing touches by Hermione, all would be ready.

* * *

Changing in the Boy's Lavatory in Hogwarts was a little strange, but it worked. It was the wonderful time called "six-thirty" and Harry's nerves were getting to him to the extent that he could hardly dress himself. His hands shook fiercely as he straitened his collar and Ron pulled his tie into place. 

"Nervous?" Ron asked, looking at Harry's reflection in the mirror.

"Not at all." Harry lied. He shifted his feet uncomfortably as he dropped his eyes to stare at the ground.

"It's okay, you can tell me the truth." said Ron, fighting to suppress the amusement in his voice, "Nervous?"

Harry turned to look at Ron,

"Scared to death."

* * *

Libra Malfoy sat in her chair, loosely holding the hand of the boy next to her. She felt her eyes wander as she took in the beauty of her surroundings. 

Behind the golden gazebo three rows in front of her was the sparkling blue waters of the Black Lake, the occasional wave crashing onto the shore in a peace-inducing splash.

The sky was a crystalline blue, the few clouds that dared stray overhead were thin and light, accenting the heavens perfectly.

In the row sat nearly the whole of the Weasley family, only Percy sat out from this joyous occasion. From mother right down to the littlest daughter, whom Libra new as Ginny, every one of them had flaming red hair.

Scanning the seats for other familiar faces, Libra saw her Charms and Transfiguration teachers, chatting up a storm where they stood at the start of the rose petal trail. Turning her head a hint more to her left, she saw Severus Snape, whom she knew very certainly was not invited, but was likely here on Dumbledore's orders... she laughed inside.

Snape was Dumbledore's bitch.

She saw the animated forms of Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour, both of whom she met at the Triwizard tournament during the insanity of the international event last school year.

She saw the boy whose hand she held now, Nikolas Granger, and, his twin sister to his right, Nicki Granger.

And, of course, there were several dozen other people she just didn't recognize.

She turned her attention to the back as the music started, a sweet violin solo of the _Hogwarts Hymn_, to see a handsome Harry Potter clad in a particularly spiffy coal black tuxedo.

She watched as he nervously was escorted down the aisle by Professor Minerva McGonagall, walked to the gazebo and stood, turning his gorgeous green eyes to face the beauty now resting, flower-laden, at the start of the aisle.

Her hair was done up in a style that was sure to run through _Witch Weekly's_ best styles for several weeks, her smile so wide and so brilliant that she outshone the sun, her black eyes twinkling the reflection of the lake.

She made her first step toward Harry, clumsily escorted by Professor Flitwick, and slowly walked down the aisle.

She could have sworn everyone in the audience had stopped breathing.

* * *

**A/N: Wohoo! They're FINALLY getting married! Sweetness!**


	3. Hell, Yes

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Three – Hell, Yes  
**

* * *

**  
**Pansy stood in front of Harry, her veil draped perfectly in front of her beautiful face, Harry's jaw slackened some.

Dumbledore took one step forward and began to speak as the music faded off into nothingness,

"Dearly beloved..." he began, neither Harry nor Pansy were paying the slightest bit of attention to the pre "I do" ramblings. They just wanted to snog each other senseless.

Perhaps it was the fact that they had been in one another's minds long enough to know what the other would do, because, simultaneously, both entered the other's mind.

"So, you thinkin'..." Pansy thought to Harry, he could see her grin even from beneath her veil. Her eyes stared back at him like the delicate precious black orbs they were.

"Absolutely. How many times, do you think, before we fall asleep?" Harry asked in her thoughts. Her grin widened to a full-blown smiled.

"Ten?" she asked, knowing better.

"I was thinkin' at least twelve." Harry suggested, sharing with her a feeling of excitement.

From the first row, Harry could hear the strangled sobbings of Molly Weasley, with the occasional trumpet like sniff from Hagrid.

Both began to semi-pay attention as Dumbledore neared the most important part of the ceremony.

"Do you, Pansy Marie Parkinson, take Harry James Potter to be your lawfully..." his voice didn't really trail off. Pansy just interrupted him in Harry's thoughts.

"Twelve? That can be arranged." she laughed softly.

"...wedded husband, till death do you part?" Dumbledore finished.

Pansy, without missing a beat, responded immediately.

"Hell, yes." she blurted, feeling herself blush. Thank goodness she was under the veil, "Er... I do."

Dumbledore didn't seem to think much about the humorous way in which she initially accepted her vows. Severus Snape, in the back, however, nearly peed himself laughing. It was just that funny.

Harry took the ring in his hand and gently slid it down her ring finger. He could feel his heart racing, he knew that, in only a few more seconds, they would be legally married. The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.

Dumbledore took a short breath and continued, but, Harry spoke,

"Think it strange we're honeymooning in France?" he asked, raising an eyebrow only slightly to accentuate the effect of his words.

"Do you, Harry James Potter, take Pansy Marie Parkinson to be your..."

Pansy knew where he was going with this. The weren't going to France to meet the Delacour's parents. What did it matter?

"With Fleur and Gabby being from there and all?" she queried, softening the rather rough question.

"... lawfully wedded wife, till death do you part?"

Harry, without missing a beat, responded immediately, just as Pansy had done,

"Hell, yes." blurted Harry, echoing Pansy's response, then _corrected _himself as well, "I do."

Pansy raised her own hand and took Harry's, sliding a ring down his respective ring finger. The deep golden ring with an emerald and two diamonds glinted back at him. He knew what this ring meant to Pansy. It had been her father's.

Sure, he had left her money, tons of it. Between Pansy and Harry, they were richer than the Malfoys ten times over. He had left her the mansion, an estate in Rome, an estate in the United States, and several acres of waterfront in Portugal.

But none of that held the same importance that this ring bore. It was the one thing that he personally had touched.

The ring, his wedding ring, that he had removed and hidden before his death.

"Nah, not strange at all." he whispered into her thoughts as the words they had been so anxiously awaiting finally came,

"Then I declare you man and wife." said Dumbledore happily, "You may kiss the bride."

"About time!" Pansy squeaked, earning a knowning smirk from Dumbledore as Harry lifted her veil greedily and crashed his lips upon hers.

She was now Pansy Marie Potter. His lawfully wedded wife and the one thing that mattered more to him than anything in the whole of the universe.

Even Voldemort would come in second. Sorry Snake-Face.

And, now the narrator can't call her a Parkinson!

_Parkinson! Parkinson! HA HA HA HA!_

Hi! I'm the new narrator! She killed the other one..

**A/N: Hope that was funny and sweet at the same time.. tried to make it so. Anyways, I'd love to hear what you think about this chapter! Please review!**


	4. The Reception

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Four – The Reception  
**

* * *

Pansy smiled as she walked hand in hand with her husband, his face mirroring the extreme happiness that flooded their every thought. The delicate silks of Pansy's wedding gown flowed dreamily in the gentle breeze as it caressed her shoulders in an invigorating embrace. 

A few people made to move toward them, preparing to congratulate them. Before anyone could quite reach them, however, their Maid of Honor, Hermione Granger, stood, cleared her throat loudly, and spoke with even greater volume,

"If I may have your attention, please!" she called. The attendees nearly instantly fell silent and turned their attention toward her. Only the faint whisperings of Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore could be heard.

"Why didn't you?" he heard Snape hiss, his face quite obtrusively close to Dumbledore's.

Dumbledore, unabashed, kept his composure and responded simply, simply agitating Snape further,

"Because you'd stand up and say something that would ruin their wedding, Severus." Dumbledore grinning knowingly before awkwardly patting Snape's shoulder.

"What about the others?"

Majestically, the chairs folded themselves away. The rose carpet that had once blanketed the grounds in front of the lake was replaced with marvelous marble tiles, forming a magnificent floor on which to dance.

Sweetly, the violin once again took to playing. Looking into Harry's eyes, she saw the desire she had so long loved to see. She was his, he was hers, and nothing could change that.

"No one else would have objected." said Dumbledore simply. Waving dismissively and an increasingly agitated Professor Snape.

Snape's eyebrows curled upward as he began to fire his next comment.

"I beg to differ." said a falsely sweet voice.

Pulling Pansy gently toward him, Harry wrapped his arm around her waist. The two began to rock sweetly, then step to the beat of the tune.

Harry took in his the scent of his wife's sweet, not at all overpowering, perfume. A gentle mix of vanilla and cinnamon, a combination that struck her personality on the head perfectly. The sweet, soft, subtle tastes of vanilla, mixed with the flavorful stroke of cinnamon spice.

Immediately, pairs began to fill up the magnificent floor, Hermione, clad in her delicate silver and white satin gown, spun slowly and peacefully in the arms of Ronald Weasley.

Neville, slightly to Harry's surprise, took to the floor next. Wearing a simple blue shirt and black slacks, he escorted a dreamy blonde, wearing sunshine yellow robes, carrying with her a sense of innocence, and if Harry would dare to say so, a hint of looniness. Harry felt happy for them just the same.

As was expected, hand in hand with Libra Malfoy, Nick Granger took to his own rhythmic steps. He was a terrible dancer, occasionally stepping on Libra's pale green skirt, causing it to expose just a hairline of delectable peach flesh; Harry had the inkling suspicion that the action may not have been done entirely on accident.

Immediately following her twin brother in a vibrantly red, wholly modest, velvet dress, Nicki Granger took to the floor, an elated Dennis Creevy swinging from her arm before she pulled him into a moderately seductive embrace.

But none on the floor looked any more stunning than the newlyweds. The innocent whites and delicate golds of Pansy's wedding gown perfectly accented the dark black and steamy silver of Harry's tuxedo. No two smiles anywhere could ever hope to rival those which hung on their faces.

"Mrs. Parkinson?" Pansy heard Dumbledore say. She was _not_ a Parkinson. He of all people knew that. He had just wedded her to Harry Potter. Making her anything but a Parkinson. She turned her head slightly in his direction.

"I'd certainly would like to have had a say on whether or not my daughter marries half-blood filth, Dumbledore." a voice said. Pansy knew that voice. That awful voice. It had been a little over two years since she'd heard it.

"Harry?" she whispered, turning to look into his eyes.

Harry had been listening as well, taking careful mental notes behind Dumbledore's actions and words.

"I hear them, too." Harry replied softly, initiating dance steps to near them to the speakers.

Dumbledore shook his head at the woman's response. He was rather disgusted at the way she saw the romance.

"I assure you they're perfectly happy together. They love each other." he defended them, smiling at her, "I've seen it."

"It's not about happiness, Dumbledore!" growled Mrs. Parkinson, folding her arms in a remarkably familiar way, "It's about blood!"

Dumbledore sighed and nodded, placing a hand on his forehead to close his weary eyes,

"Ah.. yes..." Dumbledore groaned and opened his eyes again to see Pansy walk up, exchanging Harry's shoulder for his hand.

Pansy pulled herself as close to Harry as she could manage, put on a rather evil smirk and spoke snidely,

"Ah, mother." she said with a clearly false excitement, "How good of you to turn up."

Pansy's mother gritted her teeth, breathed in deeply, and fumed,

"You are so... so... so... _grounded_... young lady!"

Harry casually took a step forward, grabbed the woman's hand, shook it and smiled,

"Ah, hello! How good to finally meet the woman whose abandonment of her daughter granted the emancipation we needed to have this joyous occasion!"

She looked absolutely livid.

"She's 15!" she hissed, throwing her arms down at her side and puffing up her chest.

"And I'm 14." said Harry calmly, squeezing Pansy's hand reassuringly, "And legally, we are both out of your hands."

Mrs. Parkinson stood quiet for a brief while as her eyes darted back and forth, glaring at anyone who dared watch the scene she was making,

"She's my daughter!" were the only words she could get out.

"She's my wife." said Harry simply kissing Pansy quickly on the cheek. Harry and Pansy glared daggers at the woman before them. Harry'd heard of in-laws being the pits from old American Muggle sitcoms like _Everybody Loves Raymond_, but had never quite realized just how... terrible they could be. And Pansy was quite clearly not happy with her mother either, seeing as the only time her mother saw fit to come into Pansy's life was in an attempt to deny her joy.

Hermione walked up behind Dumbledore and patted Mrs. Parkinson on the shoulder, Ron still hanging onto her left hand as she dragged him closer,

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we're going to have to ask you to leave." Hermione's voice was firm and persuasive, but rather than take the hint, Pansy's mother just screamed,

"DON'T YOU TALK TO ME, MUDBLOOD! THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'S WEDDING! A WEDDING I NOT ONLY HAD NO PART IN BUT DO NOT ACCEPT! DON'T TELL ME..."

Ron took a step forward and stared the woman down. Anyone with a single brain cell could see he was mad enough to kill, but spoke calmly anyway,

"Ma'am, if you don't stop yelling at my girlfriend and leave immediately, I'm going to have to escort you off the premises."

Mrs. Parkinson snarled,

"Don't you _ma'am_ me, blood-traitor."

Anger bursting from inside of her, Pansy rose her left hand and shot a stunning spell at her mother. The spell traveled quickly and was deadly accurate, hitting her square in the chest.

This action stirred some whispers from the observing crowd,

"Was that wandless magic?" one man said, only to be echoed a few seconds later by a teenage girl with long red hair.

"How did she do that?"

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**A/N: Hopefully this chapter was sufficiently descriptive with a good hint of story; tell me what ya think! Review!**

**Also be sure to check out the "Never Alone" forums!**


	5. Mummy's Home

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**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Five – Mummy's Home  
**

* * *

Amid continued whispers of awe, confusion, and, to some extent, fear, Dumbledore promptly levitated the stunned form of Mrs. Genevieve Parkinson from the wedding ceremony, gradually allowing the dancing and talking to return to normal. 

Harry once again took to Pansy's waist as they danced to the slow tune of the song the violin now played, every now and then kissing for good measure.

Sitting alone by herself, was Gabrielle Delacour. Being alone was her choice. Here she could watch him, see him, kiss him with her eyes...

Nick Granger, that is.

T'was a shame he had the blonde hanging 'round his neck. How desperately she wanted to rip her away, take him to herself and have her way with him.

But, for now, she would be content with watching him. Burning his face in her memory.

No... way.

He didn't...

She could have sworn he just looked at her and winked.

She blushed. She _had_ to be daydreaming.

The chatting continued. Primarily about the magical abilities of Pansy Potter, of course. Snape enjoyed taking the credit for her immense magical aptitude.

Taking a quick break from their dancing, Harry and Pansy walked off the dance floor and to the punch, where an ecstatic Arthur and Molly Weasley greeted them. Behind them stood Ginny Weasley, a rather attractive young witch whose hand was loosely held by a slightly older boy with brown eyes and dark, sleek black hair.

"Congratulations!" squeaked Mrs. Weasley, giving Harry a bone-crushing hug. As Mrs. Weasley turned to Pansy to do the same, even Arthur gave his own quick, far less rib-breaking, hug.

"Congratulations!" he repeated after his wife, smiling at each of them. Ginny walked from behind her parents and gave Harry an awkward hug, then shook Pansy's hand. The boy with whom Ginny seemed to be romantically involved spoke as he shook Harry's hand,

"Blaise Zabini, Mr. and _Mrs. _Potter. Congratulations." he smiled weakly, then walked off with Ginny.

"Well," said Molly finally, taking Arthur's hand, "We'd best get dancing!"

They walked away and began to dance on the floor, like the old married couple they were, earning a few grins from Harry and Pansy.

And if _that_ was funny, nothing could compare with Snape dancing with Fleur Delacour. Oh, yes. Mr. Greasy-haired potions master dancing doey-eyed with the most delectable French woman there, and he seemed to be enjoying himself.

Harry chuckled lightly as Professor McGonagall came up in front of him and, very, _very_ awkwardly gave him a hug and smiled.

"Congratulations, you two." she laughed a little, "Well, it would seem you two were right." she smiled at Pansy, "Not just a ploy to get into her pants, for sure!"

"Not that that really holds up..." Harry whispered into Pansy's thoughts, "Seeing as we've already..."

He could see Pansy shift uncomfortably and blush, pushing her face into Harry's chest to cover it up as best she could. Professor McGonagall's eyes widened and she slowly backed away.

He had!

He had winked at her!

She was sure of it now.

Libra had her arm around him tightly, but, in a fit of bravery, Gabrielle stood and marched up to him,

"Can I dance with him?" she asked Libra bluntly. She looked taken aback.

"Thanks." she said, without waiting for a response from either of them, she hooked Nick's arm and pulled him onto the dance floor.

Harry chuckled slightly and kissed Pansy's cheek.

"That was mean." she growled, biting his ear affectionately. He turned his head and kissed her passionately on the lips.

"Save it for the honeymoon." said Ron blandly. Hermione gave him a wicked scowl.

Harry looked up at Ron and grinned as Hermione threw her arms around the couple and hugged them tightly,

"Congratulations!" she squeaked.

Harry kissed her cheek and smiled,

"Thank you so much for your help." he said laughing, "I don't know what we'd've done without you!"

"Oh, it was nothing." Hermione lied.

"You'll make a great bride someday, Hermione." Pansy said quietly. Harry turned to Ron,

"You hear that, Ron?" he chuckled, "She's gunna make a great bride someday. Who'll be the lucky guy?"

Ron blushed.

"Thanks again, you two." said Harry calmly, "But I think we're going to head off now." he smiled, "We have some honeymooning to do."

Hermione and Ron nodding in acknowledgment as Harry and Pansy blinked away from the reception to the Quidditch pitch where they picked up an inconspicuous waxing cloth and felt themselves, once again, pulled by the navel, the ground shifting unnervingly beneath them.

Tours, France was a magnificent city. Its majestic Muggle architecture really could take your breath away. But they weren't hear simply to stare at a few buildings.

As soon as they hit their hotel room, there'd be little sleeping. They had some goals to fulfill.

* * *

"How many times was that?" Harry sighed as he relaxed himself atop his wife's marvelously soft, sweaty, clothing-free body. 

She smiled up at him and kissed him,

"I don't know, hon." she said. "I lost count somewhere around twenty."

She laughed slightly, Harry could feel her chest shake as she did so,

"Either way, I won't be able to walk in the morning."

She stroked his chest with the tip of her finger.

"Oh, is that so?" he laughed, "Well, another time won't hurt then, will it?"

"Don't you ever wear out, Mr. Potter?" she laughed, kissing him sensually as he once again began to work his magic.

* * *

**A/N: Hope that chapter was a little funny, and a little enlightening. Gabby's in a little trouble, s'far as I'm concerned. And I know Libra agrees with me...**

**As for the chapters seeming a little short: Perhaps you're just really addicted and.. they just seem like it?**

**LOL. Either way, I love to see reviews. They inspire me to write more and read less!  
**


	6. On to the Honeymoon

**A/N: Contains dialogue that may not be suitable for all readers.**

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Six – On to the Honeymoon  
**

* * *

The Muggle side of Tours was brilliantly beautiful. There was absolutely no doubt about that. The various cathedrals and gardens could steal your breath away nearly as quickly as Pansy in her wedding gown. 

Here and there, usually following the point of Pansy's extended finger, they stopped for a visit in a shop or took a tour through some building of historical significance.

And, then, when they hit the _magical_ side of Tours, you know, not just magically beautiful, but the wizarding side of Tours...

Wow.

Small shoppes and stores lined the street, reminding Harry greatly of Diagon Alley. In the front of a rather ancient looking store reading, "Baguettes d'Olivander" (Harry assumed that this wand shoppe had no connection to Ollivander's in Diagon Alley) was a stout man, speaking in rapid French as he used a combination of talent and magic, his wand cleverly hidden in his left sleeve, to juggle four fiery orbs in front of a small audience.

He had a small collection tin beside his left foot, a few small coins dully shined from its inside, but, Harry and Pansy both realized that the man's act would hardly provide him a living.

Pansy let her grip on Harry relax completely as she stepped to the side, opening the palms of her hand. Two fiery orbs swirled there, a deep red adding light to Pansy's already sparkling eyes.

She swirled her hands in front of her, exchanging one orb of fire for the other. Adding a third orb, she cast one out into the audience, to which they oohed and gasped. Pulling it back toward her, she allowed the orbs to spiral upward like a waterwheel.

"Zos are just eeluzions." the Frenchman said to the audience, "Mine are real!"

Pansy smirked at the man, stealing a glance at Harry evilly from the corner of her eye.

"Just illusions?" she said in a delightfully sweet voice.

She allowed two of her fires to vanish and sent the other dangerously close to his face, searing his eyebrows.

The juggler gulped and backed up a step, showing just enough submission that Pansy allowed her final orb to vanish.

Several members of the crowd came before her, dumping several sickles and knuts, even a few galleons here and there. The juggler looked furious until Pansy pulled a galleon of her own from her pocket, picked up the coins and placed them in the man's collection tin.

He had a face without expression.

She walked closer toward him, waved her hand in front of his face, returning his eyebrows to as they had been. He jumped a little in fear.

* * *

Rather than Blink back to their hotel, as they would have done normally, Harry and Pansy decided to walk back. 

Now, for any normal couple, this would be a marvelously romantic thing. It'd give them warm-fuzzies and make them more willing to get close when they arrived back and flopped down together on the bed.

But, being the married couple of the... century... the walk gave them more than just those wonderful feelings.

It gave them a street full of Death Eaters.

Four to be exact.

Nothing Pansy couldn't handle under the influence of six shots of vodka and a quick hit to the head while completely and totally immersed in the world of slumber. So there was nothing to be worried about really, nothing at all.

Rolling her eyes after a quick kiss on the cheek to Harry, she sent two Stunning Jinxes at the foremost Death Eaters. Their black forms fell to the ground with an agreeable thump. Harry, taking Pansy's queue for action, sent a pair of Stunning Jinxes of his own.

The first jinx hit the Death Eater... which Harry was quite sure was male by the way he buckled over when the jinx nailed him in the crotch, but the second only ricocheted off a conveniently placed dumpster and smashed a window across the street.

The fourth Death Eater, seeing eminent defeat, took off with his tail between his legs. Literally, seeing as he had transfigured himself into a rat.

Sighing softly, Pansy re-took Harry's hand and walked with him, pointedly stepping on the fingers of the fallen Death Eaters as they walked by.

"What the heck are they doing in France?" she chuckled, kissing his cheek affectionately.

"Maybe they're on their honeymoon?"

* * *

Both sprawled out in their birthday suits on their rather comfortable bed, the couple yawned together and kissed gently, curling up into one another to get a good nap. 

On the pane of the window came a most annoying tap, tap, tap from a brown owl. Cursing the bird for ruining the moment, Harry stood, wrapped himself in a robe, and fetched the letter attached to its feet.

"Who's it from?" said Pansy's sleepily.

"Hmm." said Harry slightly sarcastically, "Mr. All-knowing."

She grinned. She loved it when he referred to Dumbledore with a slight hint of sarcasm. It made her more willing to warm up to the old man.

"And what does _he_ want, exactly?"

Harry searched the contents of the letter quickly. There was hardly anything in the letter, save for a few, rather cryptic pieces of information.

"He says we're in danger." Harry grunted, smirking and tossing the letter and key on the bedside table.

Pansy snorted,

"No shit, sherlock?"

"He wants us in London, tomorrow. We're supposed to meet by taking that Portkey." he motioned to the dull key that now rested upon the bedside table.

"And cut our honeymoon short?"

Harry sat on the edge of the bed and sighed in agreeing frustration,

"Yes. By three days, too."

"We better make love before we leave." she demanded, pulling Harry down into a laying position, then hugging him close to her perfect form.

He had no reason to argue.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter's main purpose is to show Pansy's sweet side and her battle side... side-by-side. The fact that Harry has rubbed off on her some is supposed to be a little obvious, hopefully it is!**

**As always, reviews are candy to which I have an incurable addiction, so give me a few!**


	7. Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Seven – Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place  
**

* * *

After reclothing themselves and gathering their things, Pansy and Harry set off, if you can call reaching to the bedside table setting off, to London. 

Again, for what Harry hoped would be the last time in his life, Harry felt the uneasy jerking from behind his navel. As the ceiling fleshed its way into a morning sky, Pansy kissed him on the cheek and smiled.

The buildings that surrounded the square they now found themselves in were enormous. All tall, massive apartment buildings.

"Dumbledore." said Harry simply.

"Harry, Pansy." he replied simply, taking a few steps away and turning back at them, "Follow me."

Dumbledore stopped as he came to the last step of the third floor of the largest building. He turned to Harry once again and whispered very quietly,

"The Headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix can be found at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place."

Harry found the statement rather odd and confusing.

"Think about what you have just heard." he said simply, then vanished.

Pansy turned to see the look of confusion on Harry's face,

"You see why I don't really like him?" she asked innocently, Harry just gave a slight tug on her hand and stepped up in front of the apartment door in front of them.

A golden twelve hung lazily, crookedly above the forest green door.

Hoping he was doing the right thing, Harry placed his hand on the handle and turned it.

"Harry!" Hermione breathed, throwing her arms around him and pulling him inside, Pansy dragging behind him as Ron rushed to shut the door. "You're both alright. We'd heard you'd been attacked!"

"Attacked?" Harry asked.

"Oh, that?" laughed Pansy, patting her knee in amusement, "They didn't even get a chance to raise their wands before we stunned three and the fourth ran off."

Pansy felt her mind being prodded.

"Get out of my mind, Hermione." Hermione scowled at her, and reluctantly obeyed. "You're blaringly obvious when you scan people, you know that? Gives me a migraine." Pansy rubbed her temple dramatically.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and huffed.

"So why were Death Eaters after you in _France_?" Hermione asked, a little grumpily.

"No clue." said Pansy simply, looking around her, "What is this place?"

A small redheaded girl on the stairs answered her,

"The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Order of the Phoenix?"

"They're a secret organization formed to fight Voldemort." Harry was surprised to see Ginny say his name unflinchingly.

Hermione continued,

"They were the group that tried bringing him down last time, Harry." she said in a hushed voice, "Before you stopped him."

Harry felt a pang of sorrow for his lost parents, but he had a wife of his own now. Someone he could go to whenever he needed a kiss, a hug, or just consoling. She really was the best.

Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen smiling and gave Harry a quick hug, then gave Pansy the same,

"Harry, dear." she smiled then turned to Pansy, "Pansy," she added with a little bit of awkwardness in her voice, "We're in a meeting right now, but we're almost done. It's good to see you've both made it here in one piece."

Pansy smirked.

"Now, Ron, why don't you run along upstairs and show the Potters were their room is."

The Potters! She said the Potters!

Harry and Pansy both were elated.

Ron motioned for the couple to follow as his mother sneaked back quietly into the kitchen. The house, if you could dare to call it that, was old and smelled of ancient (and possible vile) things that Harry wasn't sure he'd want to meet.

Harry could swear he heard someone muttering under their breath,

"Blood-traitors, mudbloods, scum of the earth..."

"There, there, mistress." said a voice as ancient as the house smelled, "There, there." Harry could see the silhouette of a House Elf in the candlelight that shown down in the room below.

Ron tapped on a door and it swung open. There was a single bed done up neatly. The room smelled far more inviting that the entrance and living space of the house had. It almost looked livable.

"I don't understand.." said Harry, in a very "out-there" sort of way, "why here?"

"A charm on this house." replied Ron simply.

"It's called a Fidelius charm." Hermione expanded, "That's really the most major of the protections on this place, but it's not the only."  
_  
Pop.  
_  
Fred and George Weasley appeared before them.

Hermione growled, "Oh! Will you stop doing that!" she sounded remarkably like Mrs. Weasley as she did so, "Just because you now have your license does _not_ mean..."

Fred and George rolled their eyes and turned to Harry.

"Want to listen to something a little more interesting?"

George motioned Harry to follow, where they stood on the stairs and watched as Ginny pelted some strange-smelling balls at the kitchen door.

"They gunna work, sis?" said Fred to Ginny.

"No. The door's been perturbed." she responded quickly. Harry had never seen Ginny like this before. She wasn't the shy, bashful little sister of Ron anymore. She had a personality.

Harry kind of liked it.

And then he didn't.

If he'd seen this side of her earlier, he'd liked to have thought he'd've given a relationship with her a chance.

He shrugged, then blinked.

Eh, too late for that. He only wanted his Pansy.

"Rotten luck." grunted George, pulling something from his pocket. "These are Extendable Ears. Work wonders for listening in on important..."

"Until some rotten sneak has to go telling mum about them." George scowled at Hermione.

"I didn't say anything!" she fumed, folding her arms up in a furious huff. Hermione seemed to be easily agitated today.

"Wish we could hear what they were saying." said Fred in a desperate tone of voice as his eyes stared at the door longingly. Pansy smiled.

"On it."

Everyone but Harry looked at her incredulously. Harry knew what she was doing.

"Meeting's over." Pansy sighed. "But Mrs. Weasley keeps thinking about a "Department of Mysteries", whatever that is."

"Ministry of Magic." Hermione breathed, taking Ron's hand in hers as she led the way down the stairs.

Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen, squeaked quietly, and jumped when she saw the group swarm in around her,

"I was just about to tell you that the meeting is over..." she looked at Pansy and Harry curiously, "But it seems you are already aware." she puffed up her chest and regained her fire, "Well, come on! Time for a spot of supper!"**  
**

* * *

**A/N: One of the biggest points of this chapter is to "point out" each member of the quartet's skill with the mindseeking ability. Ron is the worst at it, as he rarely uses it, followed immediately by Hermione, then Harry, and Pansy, who is _by far_ the best at it.**

**Anyways, I'd love to hear from you about this chapter! Please review!**


	8. The Order of the Phoenix

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Eight – The Order of the Phoenix  
**

* * *

"Sirius!" Harry breathed, grinning from ear to ear as he raced to where his godfather stood, clobbering him with a tremendous hug. Pansy giggled a little as she sauntered toward Harry to reclaim his hand. 

"Congratulations, you two!" he said a little feebly, giving Pansy her own hug to which she made a little face. "I wish I could have been there, but, with Wormtail having returned to Voldemort, Dumbledore's afraid I'd be too easily recognized."

Harry nodded his head once and spoke once again,

"What's he up to?"

"Supper's ready!" called Mrs. Weasley as she set a large pot of stew down in the centre of the table.

Sirius cocked his head toward the table and began to walk toward it. Harry followed and took a seat, Pansy sitting beside him.

A tall redhead prepared to sit down as Mrs. Weasley wheeled on him,

"Bill Weasley," he looked up at her in a face clearly full of fear-induced respect. "Did you put away the notes from the meeting?"

He blanched, took out his wand, and vanished a few pieces of scattered parchment still left on the table.

"Now," said Mrs. Weasley sitting beside her husband, "Let's eat!"

Obediently, Ron instantly took the ladle and dished himself something to eat.

Across the table, a woman whom Harry had only caught a glance of at the wedding pulled on her nose and it quickly changed shape.

Ginny, Hermione, and Pansy all giggled. Even Ron and Charlie laughed some.

"How did you..." was all Harry managed to say.

"I'm a metamorphmagus. I can change my appearance at will." said the witch simply, she held out her hand to shake his, leaving her sleeve dangling an inch or so above the butter, "Nymphadora Tonks. But call be Tonks."

"Yeah, don't call Nymphie by her name. She goes crazy." chuckled George.

"Don't call me 'Nymphie' either." she growled, sneering at George. "Especially if you ever want to have children." she raised her fork threateningly.

Harry didn't really know what to think of Tonks. She seemed very touchy about her name, a little agitated constantly, but when she returned to her performance, Harry relaxed again.

"So, what exactly is this 'Order of the Phoenix'?" Harry asked Sirius, sitting to the left of Tonks. Sirius looked up at Mrs. Weasley who only nodded slightly.

"The Order of the Phoenix is a group of people bent on bringing Voldemort down. We've been tracking him, trying to predict his next move. With the recent breakout in Azkaban, things are getting more difficult."

"Breakout from Azkaban?" Hermione asked incredulously. "I read nothing in the _Prophet_ about that!" she pulled the newspaper from her pocket and unraveled it, skimming the cover before Sirius spoke again,

"Of course you wouldn't have." he said simply, "Fudge is covering the whole thing up."

"Covering it up?" Pansy and Harry asked together, then laughed softly, and turned back to Sirius. Harry continued, "Shouldn't he be _telling_ the pubic that kind of thing, so they can protect themselves against Voldemort and his Death Eaters?"

"That's what anyone in their right mind would do, yes." said Lupin calmly as he took a seat beside Arthur Weasley, Harry resisted the urge to run up and hug him, "But Fudge isn't in his right mind."

"Admitting that Voldemort has returned to power would mean..."

Tonks cut him off,

"It would mean that the Minstry of Magic would have to deal with the panic."

Lupin added his own two cents,

"Last time Voldemort rose to power he did so quietly, and in secret, moving slowly to gather followers, ensuing panic and chaos. He would never come out directly and say he's returned, because, being unsure makes people paranoid and afraid."

Sirius continued for him,

"And fear makes people do terrible things Harry. The last time Voldemort gave power he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear. Now he's returned and I'm afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth."_  
_  
Arthur Weasley sighed,

"We think he wants to bring up his numbers again."

Everyone turned to look at Mr. Weasley. His wife gave him a look that Harry was sure meant to hush up, but, all the same, he continued.

"Fourteen years ago he had huge numbers at his command, not just witches and wizards but all manner of dark creatures. He has been recruiting heavily and we have been attempting to do the same, though that's proving difficult when no one believes he's returned. But gathering followers isn't all he's interested in..."

Resting against the counter, Alastor Moody coughed loudly and importantly.

Mr. Weasley went quiet, but Sirius spoke,

"We believe that Voldemort may be after something, something he didn't have last time."

Moody warningly called Sirius' name.

"You mean, like a weapon?" Pansy asked softly.

Mrs. Weasley shouted loudly as she slammed her hand down on the table,

"No! That's enough! He's only a boy and..."

"I'm married, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said flatly. "If Voldemort is raising an army then I want to fight!"

"You're too young." said Mrs. Weasley solidly, shaking her head.

Harry glared at her, but kept quiet. If they wouldn't let him join, he'd get whatever information he felt he needed from their thoughts.

"I do wish I could have attended the wedding." said Sirius with a sigh, dropping his fork on his plate, looking up apologetically to Harry and Pansy. "Then again, anything to get out of here would be quite welcome. Anything to help the Order, Snape keeps..."

"Snape was here?" asked Harry.

"Yes. Quite here." Sirius growled, "Giving a lovely report and rubbing the fact that all I've been able to do is offer my home up for headquarters in my face while he's out risking his behind..."

"This is your home?" Pansy asked gently.

"Yes," Sirius groaned, "It was passed down to me when my _dear_ mother died."

"Oh, Harry! Pansy!" said Hermione setting down her newspaper for some envelopes in her pocket. "These are yours." she handed the couple a pair of letters addressed from Hogwarts.

"Ah," said Harry understandingly, "We're going to need to go get our books soon."

"No need." said Hermione smiling. "I've already taken care of that."

Harry reached into his pocket to repay her, she waved his hand down.

"No need. I used your money."

Harry looked up at her as he finished opening his letter.

"You what?" he asked.

"I used your money." she repeated..

"How'd you get the money from my vault?"

"Simple, really. Just had to tell them I was sleeping with you." she joked, then gave the real reason, "Just a little mindseeking and they didn't seem to want to argue much."

The term 'mindseeking' earned a few inquisitive looks from various members seated at the table.

"Well... thanks, I guess." said Harry dryly, a little concerned, but glad he could trust Hermione.

"I'm a prefect!" Pansy squeaked beside Harry, throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek. Harry responded promptly by returning the hug and kissing her full on the mouth.

"That's wonderful!" he said merrily.

Harry scanned his letter for any such powers. He had not been made a prefect. His heart sank a little until he realized he'd been...

"I"ve been made Quidditch Captain!" he laughed a little. There were still senior players on the team, but he was chosen.

Strange. He shrugged and was attacked with another kiss from Pansy.

* * *

"They've been attacking Dumbledore, too." Lupin said calmly, throwing the_ Prophet_ to Pansy. "He wants to discredit both of you. Bring up his power, keep the public calm and reassured that Voldemort has not returned." 

"They're saying some terrible things about both of you." Lupin said a little irritation in his voice, "Dumbledore's already lost his position on the Wizengamot over it, and they're talking about taking his away his Order of Merlin, too."

"He doesn't care, really." said Tonks beside Lupin. "As long as they don't take him off the Chocolate Frog cards."

"They're just building on Rita's old trash." said Pansy dryly, tossing the newspaper back to Lupin.

"She's not..." started Harry.

"No, she's kept her promise." responded Hermione immediately, "Not that she has much choice."

* * *

**A/N: Hope this chapter was decent. I'd like to see some more reviews! Not only for this story, but for my others! A few of my one-shots could certainly use a few...**


	9. Back to Hogwarts

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Nine – Back to Hogwarts  
**

* * *

With their trolleys behind them, Pansy and Harry raced onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, raced onto the train and caught their breath. 

"We need to make sure we have enough time before we do that." grunted Pansy, panting heavily.

"Eh," said Harry, also gasping for air, "It was worth it, yes?"

She nodded and kissed him passionately.

"I've got to go to the Prefects compartment." she said, walking a step toward the front of the train. "I'll be back as soon as I can be." she kissed his cheek and waltzed down the corridor.

Harry opened the door of a compartment containing Ginny and Neville with the rather detached girl with whom Neville danced at Harry's wedding. The blonde noticed Harry and scrunched up close to Neville, making room for Harry to sit. Harry instead chose to sit beside Ginny, opposite them.**  
**  
"It's called a Mimbulus Mimbletonia." said Neville happily, pointing at a disgusting looking plant... well, Harry assumed it was a plant. Either way, Harry still felt incredibly proud of Neville for being able to say Mimbulus Mimbletonia without stammering over his words. The name really was quite a tongue-twister.  
**  
**As soon as Harry opened his mouth to comment, the compartment door swung open, revealing a sobbing Gabrielle Delacour who simply closed the door, let herself fall into Harry's lap, and cried.

Was Harry a magnet for crying ladies? It certainly seemed so. First Pansy during detention, Hermione during her... possession last school year, Fleur during her fretting before the first task, and now Gabby, her sister, for Merlin knows what reason.**  
**  
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, rubbing her cheek against Harry's chest to wipe away her tears, she pulled away from him and sat beside him, "I... just... you're ze first person I thought to come to after what you did for Fleur, I..." her crying broke her words up a little, "... Don't really know anyone else, except that boy and his awful, terrible..."

"Did you try stealing him again?" said Ginny flatly, rolling her eyes.

"Stealing who?" said the blonde in Neville's arms.

"Ni...Nick G...Grang...Granger." sobbed Gabby. "That..." she broke off and growled in frustration. "She..." she huffed loudly, "told me to get my feethly French 'ands off of 'er man."

Ginny rolled her eyes again,

"That seems fair to me, he is _hers_." said Ginny plainly, earning a scowl from Gabby.

Gabby just grunted and turned away, pressing her cheek against the cold glass of the compartment door. Harry couldn't help but laugh a little inside. Gabby was obsessed with someone else's man. It reminded him a little of Hermione last year.

Harry turned to face the blonde in Neville's lap. Neville had his arm crossed around her waist as she read what looked uncannily like an upside-down publication entitled, "The Quibbler".

"I don't think we've met," said Harry awkwardly as Harry held his hand out to her. Her eyes were wide with amusement... Harry thought it was amusement.

"Hello, Harry Potter." she said in a voice that was positively detached from any smidgen of reality, "I'm Luna Lovegood." she released his hand and returned to reading the material in her hand.

Harry was a little disturbed by her. She had a voice that while completely peaceful and calm, would chill anyone's blood.

"Gabby?" Harry called her name within her own thoughts. Just as Fleur had done, Gabby turned to look at Harry. "I know it hurts, but there will be someone else for you."

"You're already married." said Gabby flatly. Harry snorted a suppressed laugh. Both Neville and Luna looked that them _very _suspiciously.

"I mean someone other than Nick," he corrected in her thoughts, "and other than me, too." he amended when she gave a hopeful look.

It would seem Gabby had a thing for taken men.

"Harry!" squeaked Pansy as the door to the compartment flew open, Ron and Hermione filed in behind her and took their own tight seats. The compartment was a little crowded, but with three girls curled up in three guys' laps, it wasn't too bad.

Even though it made Gabby feel rather alone. (Despite the fact that Ginny was alone as well.) Harry rolled his eyes and pulled Gabby into a hug._  
_  
Ginny squeaked and left the compartment as black-haired Blaise Zabini wrapped his arms around Ginny, kissed her and pulled the compartment door closed.

"Well, that was quite a show." said Harry flatly.

* * *

**A/N: A little shorter than the previous chapters, which, honestly were longer than I normally write. Anyways. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hope to hear from you in reviews!**

**Don't forget to check out the "Never Alone" forums!**


	10. Unity

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Ten – Unity  
**

* * *

"Well?" asked Harry in Pansy's mind. 

She jumped a little,

"You stinker!" she growled, hitting him playfully, "I should have known you'd do that!"

Everyone else in the room looked at the couple curiously.

"Anything interesting during the Prefect's meeting?" he asked, dipping into her mind once again. She loved the way the warmth of his mental touches made her feel.

"Nothing actually spoken." she thought back to him. "There were a few things thought that were rather interesting."

"Such as?" he queried within her thoughts.

"Hermione's not a virgin." she whispered into his mind.

Harry snorted, then glanced at Hermione, and quickly repositioned his eyes on his wife.

"Ron's doing?"

She nodded subtly.

"Well, I totally needed to know that," Harry groaned into her thoughts, "Anything less... disturbing that was interesting?"

"Password to Gryffindor tower is Mimubulus Mimbletonia. Slytherin's is Death Wish, and Hufflepuff's is Powdered Donuts.."

"Powdered what?"

"Mhmm. Totally strange."

"That all?"

"Nope. Johnson's engaged."

"To whom?"

"Don't know. Didn't bother finding out, doubt it'd be anyone I know. I guess I really just didn't care?"

Harry smiled and kissed her softly.

* * *

"What... are they?" he heard Pansy ask beside him as they prepared to board their carriage for the ride up to the school grounds. 

At first, Harry was a little puzzled, then saw the nightmare steeds with sickly black wings that carried the load of the carriages.

"Don't worry." said a dreamy voice from the carriage, "I can see them, too."

It was Luna Lovegood.

"You're just as sane as I am."

Harry snorted aloud. He climbed into the carriage with Luna.

"See what?" said Hermione, pulling Ron into the carriage behind her.

"The thestrals." she said simply, pointing at the creatures in front of their cart.

Hermione leaned her head over, but saw nothing. Ron did the same and exchanged a puzzled look with her.

"Only people who have seen death can see them." she said, her voice still quite detached from reality.

"I saw Krum murdered last school year." Harry looked at Pansy, "I saw it too," she said in a small voice, "Before we made love..." her voice trailed off.

"So that's why you two were late." laughed Ron with a knowing smirk.

"Ah, don't play innocent, either of you." Harry cackled, pointing at both Ron and Hermione. Both of them blushed a lurid shade of red.

Neville and Gabrielle climbed into the cart as well, filling the last two available seats. Neville sat beside Luna and Gabrielle, cleverly... sat on the Pansy-free side of Harry.

Gabby still looked torn-up about the goings-on in the Hogwarts Express. Harry mentally shared his memory of the occurrence with Pansy, who after hearing Gabby's comments about Harry, was a hint agitated with the once bridesmaid.

"She has no claim to him." said Pansy softly into Harry's thoughts, gently caressing his hair as she laid a kiss on his cheek, "Nor to you."

Gabby turned and rested her forehead onto Harry's shoulder and cried silently.

* * *

As was typical of the start-of-year celebrations, the Great Hall was decorated beautifully. Harry could hear a few audible gasps from Gabby Delacour who passed beside him as she stared off into the sky of the Hogwarts ceiling. She'd seen it before, but it still amazed her. 

Sitting down at their usual spots, Harry stared waiting for the basics to begin. After a few more moments of allowing everyone to settle down and find their seats, McGonagall rose from her seat, pulled a ragged hat from thin air, and dropped it haphazardly onto a stool that stood before the group of first years.  
_  
You see, thought I must you divide,  
I must in you confide,  
I cannot help but wonder,  
If this ritual's a blunder._

_See, you may find  
That when with your kind  
Strength abounds, employs  
But without, destroys_

_Now comes the storm,  
Now is the time to perform  
Four apart though you now will stand,  
Without unity as one, you'll fall to the sand._

_So now rise up, all ye valiant,  
Join, come, let me chose your pride.  
If it be Gryffindor, be sure  
Your heart is quite pure._

_Be it Ravenclaw, you're sharp.  
But let that not inflate you,  
Loyalty, friendship,  
Most grand in Hufflepuff_

_If you've got the best stuff,  
Perhaps you'll do in Slytherin,  
I must fuss my way through,  
Because, believe me, this dividing is tough.  
_  
"At least it was longer than last year's." said Pansy dryly.

"Yeah, it was. But, I dunno, I think last year's might have been better." responded Harry, "It sounds like he had some bad FanFiction writer writing that song for him. I'd sue."

Pansy rolled her eyes as the names were called to be sorted.

"ABBOT, MARIETTA"

"HUFFLEPUFF"

A few more names were called.

"DELACOUR, GABRIELLE"

There was a dramatic silence as the author used useless ramblings of narration to draw out the awaiting house of the little Delacour girl. In a quick fit of rage, one of the few reviewers knocked some sense into the writer and magically, a house's name was called,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

After another fifteen or so more first-years were sorted, and Gabbrielle had taken her seat at the Gryffindor table, already chatting animatedly with Colin Creevy, Dumbledore stood to speak,

"Now before we consume twice our weight in potatoes, I'd like to make a few announcements. First years please note that the Forbidden forest is still quite forbidden." his eyes twinkled down toward Harry, "Also, we are pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank for Care of Magical Creatures."

There was a polite applause as the woman stood and bowed awkwardly.

"And Ms. Dolores Umbridge for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position."

"I know her." said Fred in a dull groan. "She works for Fudge."

"At the Ministry?" asked Hermione stupidly.

"Yes," replied George, "Well, it would appear to be_ here_ now," he groaned, "for now." he added in cynical afterthought.

A positively revolting woman stood, her sausage like fingers clasped tightly over one of her blouse's pink buttons. She looked like a cross between an overgrown frog and an obese cow. The sight was absolutely nauseating.

As Dumbledore attempted to finish his speech, she "hem-hemmed" (if that's really an action, laugh some.) Dumbledore paused, McGonagall looked annoyed enough to kill.

"Excuse me," she said in a false girlish voice, "Thank you." she said with an evil grin as she looked outward at the students.

"I'm honored to be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" she said, no enthusiasm in her voice whatsoever, save for the ounce that made a few of the teachers a hint antsy. "I can't wait to teach all your bright, young, smiling faces. We'll be such special friends!"

Harry felt his stomach lurch. This bitch was sickening.

"This year, we'll find, through learning and study that progress, for the sake of progress must be discouraged. We'll prune practices that need pruning and.." she croaked. Not like, you know, having a sudden dryness in your throat croak... no.

Like a frog, croaked.

Harry turned to see Pansy's eyes wide open, staring into Umbridge's eyes. Umbridge turned around and sat in her chair. Her eyes wide with fear.

Hell. Harry loved Pansy.

* * *

**A/N: I'm well aware that Gabby Delacour should have gone on the boats with the other first years. She didn't. That's that.**

**I found this chapter to be a little funny, hopefully you did as well. As always, I'd love to see some reviews, so leave couple on your way out. Be sure to check out my one-shots and give them a look too. Also, be sure to check my profile for stories that have won my "TML FanFiction Eagle Award". Stories that I find particularly enjoyable will occasionally be "awarded" with an Eagle Award of either Gold, Silver, or Bronze quality and placed in my profile with a link to the story as a reward. Only the best stories make the list, so they're worth checking out while waiting for my updates!**


	11. Back to the Dorms

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven – Back in the Dorms  
**

* * *

"Well, at least her little speech was enlightening." said Hermione breathlessly as she stretched out languorously on top of Ron in the common room, pulling herself up to his face to kiss him. 

"Enlightening?" Ron laughed. He cupped her cheek with his hand, kissed her sweetly, then stared at her for a response.

"It means the Ministry of Magic is interfering at Hogwarts." she spoke plainly and calmly, but her words held truth. A truth that Harry and Pansy, cuddled together on the love seat, found to be rather disturbing.

"Let's just hope the jinx on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position doesn't go away." said Pansy lazily, "I don't like her already."

Hermione, Ron, and Harry all burst out laughing.

"We could see." laughed Harry, "That croaking stunt you pulled, very hilarious."

Pansy blushed slightly as Harry leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Think anyone else noticed?" she asked innocently. Pansy... was not innocent.

"The croaking?" Ron asked, "Oh, certainly."

"I doubt anyone knows it was you though." said Harry reassuringly. "Not that it really matters, of course."

Pansy rested her head on Harry's shoulder as his hand came behind her back and wrapped around her waist.

"You reckon that Umbridge lady will be a decent teacher?"

"No." said Hermione instantly. When Hermione said a teacher wouldn't be good, that was that. You don't argue with Hermione about anything scholarly, unless you have a death wish.

Not that anyone really wanted to argue this particular answer anyway. It was clear that Umbridge would likely be the worst Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher they'd ever have. And that was saying something, you know, if you took a look at Lockhart.

Both couples lay snuggled into one another on their respective couches. If hormones weren't racing through that room faster than light, the narrator is a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

"You know," said Hermione in a detached voice quite reminiscent of Luna Lovegood, "Harry, you and Pansy would make great Defense teachers. I don't know why they don't just hire you. You've both seen real battle, fighting the Death Eaters and all."

"Maybe because we're still in school?" said Pansy, laughing slightly.

Hermione sighed.

"Maybe."

There was a short silence as the couples exchanged heartfelt kisses and hugs.

"So..." Pansy dragged the word out over a few seconds, "What do you think about the whole Gabby incident?"

"Gabby incident?" Hermione asked, looking at Harry interestedly.

"Yep." he said simply, "She's been hitting on your brother."

Hermione's jaw dropped.

"But Libra..."

Harry cut her off,

"Exactly. That's why she took the carriage with us, remember, first years normally take the boats."

Hermione screwed up her face some to give herself a stern look,

"They're supposed to take the boats. It's not an option."

Harry and Pansy laughed,

"Didn't stop her on the actual ride, little late now, Ms. By-the-rules."

Hermione scowled, Harry sighed,

"I hope she'll be okay by herself in Gryffindor Tower, though. She admitted that she really doesn't know anyone here except us."

Pansy nodded her head.

"She'll be fine, as long as she doesn't mess with Libra again."

Hermione nodded in agreement, then pulled herself off of Ron. He pouted a little.

"We'd better get to bed. Classes start tomorrow."

Ron grinned, then took her hand and led her up to the dorms.

Pansy looked at Harry with a look on her face that could make you die laughing. But, Harry held in his amusement and took Pansy gently in his arms and carried her up to their bed.

* * *

**A/N: Rather short, almost unimportant chapter. Meant as a way to break the ice surrounding a few of the characters opinions of the various things occurring at Hogwarts. The next Chapter "Theory Against the Dark Arts" should be back to a normal length and far more interesting.**


	12. Theory Against the Dark Arts

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve – Theory Against the Dark Arts  
**

* * *

If there was ever a more depressing bit of news, it was finding that Harry would have Defense Against the Dark Arts first in the morning. And to add to that, he'd have it with the Ravenclaws. 

Meaning, quite sadly, that Pansy would be no where in sight. It was the only class that they didn't have together.

Walking in behind Hermione and Ron into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Harry took his seat as a dozen or so paper airplanes whizzed through the air chasing a peculiarly realistic origami crane.

The class was in utter disarray, and the teacher had yet to make an appearance. Harry dared get his hopes up that she'd been fired for her speech the night before, interupting the headmaster and all, but, when the paper airplanes came spiraling downward in balls of flame and smoke, Harry knew better.

"Good morning, class." she said with her obnoxiously false sweet voice.

There were a few mumbled greetings, clearly not sufficient.

"I said, _good morning_, class." her false sweetness swept from her voice as a far more sinister hiss replaced the fake voice.

The class responded with a far louder response. Earning a quick nod as the witch turned around, pointing her wand at the blackboard.

"Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations." she said, the words writing themselves, "More commonly known as OWLs." she turned to smile evilly at the students before her, "Now, your coverage on this subject has been... poor.. at best. Your last competent teacher was a Mr. Quirrel?"

"Lupin."

"Now." she said, waving her wand to open each student's textbook. "The Minstry has decided to cover this material in a much more practical way. You're going to be studying Defensive Theory!"

She giggled then bit the tips of her fingernails in an annoying way.

"We're not going to use magic?" asked Hermione, twirling her wand in her hand expectantly.

"The Ministry believes that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations." she smiled again and waved slightly, "Wands away."

"How is theory going to help us with what's really out there?" Harry blurted, storing his wand reluctantly.

"Students will raise their hand in my class when they want to speak." Umbridge shot, puffing her chest importantly.

Dean raised his hand.

"What good will theory be in the real world?" he asked, staring at the toad-like professor.

She simply grinned again and spoke in a firm voice,

"You're going to be learning in a secure, risk-free environment."

This angered Harry greatly, he rolled his eyes and growled the first words that came to his tongue,

"If we're going to be attacked it isn't going to be risk-free."

Umbridge looked nervously at the class, her glassy eyes staring a student here or there as she concocted the best retort she could muster,

"And who would want to hurt children such as yourselves?"

This infuriated Harry further. He could feel Pansy within him getting angry too, she had been in his mind the whole time and he hadn't even noticed.

"Oh, I don't know... maybe... Lord Voldemort?" hissed Harry loudly.

The professor spun around and slammed her hand on her desk.

"DETENTION! MR. POTTER!"

Harry gritted his teeth. He could see quite clearly that even Hermione was struggling to keep her mouth shut.

"Let me make this very, very clear." she spoke in a firm, whisper-like growl, "You have all been told that a certain Dark Wizard is at large, this.. is.. a... lie!" she turned to face her desk again and begin to walk back toward it.

Harry couldn't contain himself any longer, he stood quickly, knocking his book to the ground and shouted,

"It is not, my wife and I saw it happen!"

Every one of the Ravenclaws turned to stare at Harry, accompanied by a majority of the Gryffindors. Everywhere around him, Harry could hear whispers like, "He's married, he's only 15!" or "Harry's married?". Harry's blurt even got Umbridge's attention as she turned around, laughing at his words and sneered at him with an disbelieving grin.

"Your wife?" she laughed, "What more codswallop can you come up with, Mr. Potter?"

The second she finished her sentence, the door in the back of the classroom shot off of its hinges and smashed into the wall beside it. Dust flew everywhere from several of the bricks that broke as it was ripped from the wall.

The form of Mrs. Pansy Potter stood, and walked quickly toward Harry.

"Who... who are you?" said Umbridge nervously. She had a reason to be nervous, after all. Pansy looked thoroughly intimidating as she passed Harry and walked straight up to Umbridge and stared into her hideous eyes.

"His _wife._" Pansy growled, folding her arms in her signature way. The class looked from Harry to Pansy and back again, repeating the glances like a unstoppable loop. Pansy took a small step back, and opened her hands so that her palms faced upward. For added intimidation, she conjured the fiery orbs Harry knew so well.

The class oohed in amazement as Umbridge muttered something about how it was strange that Pansy could do wandless magic.

"You don't marry Harry Potter and learn nothing, Professor Toad-Arse." shot Pansy, glaring at the nervous professor.

Umbridge got a little of her bravery up at the wrong time.

"Don't you talk to me like that, you insolent... I could... I could have you expelled!"

Pansy responded with a retort, her voice contorted much like that of demonic voices from old Muggle movies. It was a little alarming.

"Don't you dare talk to me or to my husband in that fashion, do you understand me?" Pansy's face was now completely in Umbridge's now.

"Y... yes." she looked absolutely panicked. "About that detention... he needn't show up."

"Good." said Pansy simply, allowing the fiery orbs to vanish. She turned to leave, kissed Harry on her way out, cast her hand toward the broken door, where it flew back into place and repaired itself and the wall, and left the room.

There were continued whispers about the potency of Pansy's magic, about Harry's marriage, and the hilarity of Pansy's complete showing-up of Umbridge.

The toad-like professor stared at the door for a while, then, when she decided it was safe, spoke directly to Harry,

"Seven o'clock, my office." she said. As she did so, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all gathered the same glowing fires in their hands that Pansy had produced only a moment before. Umbridge looked only a little nervous, but jumped clear out of her skin as Pansy Blinked into the room in front of her.

"Excuse me?" said Pansy, raising her eyebrow at the great white whale.

"Nothing, nothing." mumbled Umbridge, stepping backward as Pansy vanished from the room and the Golden Trio allowed their elemental orbs to sizzle.

The whispers did not cease to flow, even as Umbridge walked wide-eyed to her desk, completely silent.

Hermione and Ron giggled silently as the class continued to stare at them in awe. Even Harry couldn't help but laugh as he watched his disturbed teacher plop her enormous bottom in her chair, which gave a whining squeak.

Did he mention how much he loved Pansy?

She's just awesome.

* * *

**A/N: Go, Pansy, Go! Anyways, we know Pansy is the best at mindseeking already. And we now know that she's not at all afraid to stand up to Umbridge. Off we go into more torturing of Professor Toad-Arse!**

**Hope that was an enjoyable chapter, I love to see reviews!**


	13. Quidditch Tryouts

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen – Quidditch Tryouts  
**

* * *

The day came, as they all knew it would, when Quidditch Tryouts had to happen. An early morning in October, Harry woke and dressed, leaving alongside Pansy, who really could have slept in. Walking down to the Quidditch Pitch, _Firebolt_ in hand, Harry marched onto the field and stared at the small audience before him. A few people he knew only from sorting. The remainder however, he knew a bit closer than just a name. 

In a small cluster stood the forms of Dennis Creevy, Parvati Patil, Libra Malfoy, Colin Creevy, and Ginny Weasley, who stood beside the towering form of her brother, Ron. A few other faces shined back at him as well. He recognized Amber Tiorosa and Romilda Vane, but otherwise, the miscellaneous people's names he knew not.

Harry took in a deep breath and spoke,

"Okay," he began, quickly earning the attention of everyone in the group, "Wait... where are Alicia and Angelina?"

"They're not re-applying." said Katie Bell simply. "They say they'd rather focus on their studies for their NEWTs."

"Completely loyal, I'd say." laughed Pansy, earning a glare from Katie.

"What exactly is she doing here?" growled Katie, still staring at Pansy.

"She's my wife," Harry explained coolly. "She can come with me where she wants."

"She's a Slytherin!" growled a short kid in the back.

"Yep. And she interacts with exactly zero of her house."

"Huh?"

"I interact more with you Gryffindors than I do my own house." Pansy grumped, "Just deal with it or Harry won't let you try out."

There was complete silence as the audience stared at Harry for his next words.

"Now," said Harry, "If you'll get into groups based on what your trying out for." He stepped over a few feet and waved his arms in front of him, "Chasers over here." he waited till a few people lined up then stepped over, "Keepers over here." the remainder of the group, Amber and Ron included, bunched up into a messy cluster where Harry had indicated.

Harry stepped back and looked at the group. There was some hope for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. A few of them looked promising...

"Okay, we'll tryout the chasers first." said Harry, motioning the Chasers to follow, "I need your name before you apply. Katie will do a few basic passing maneuvers with you, and then we'll see how you score. Fred and George..."

The beaters looked up at Harry,

"Mhmm?"

"You'll keep. Should make things interesting for our Chaser applications."

They both grinned, mounted their brooms and flew up to the goal rings.

"Name?"

"Ginny Weasley."

He laughed. He didn't really need to ask..

He motioned her to start. Mounting her broom and flying up into the air in a single movement Ginny flew under Katie as she dropped the Quaffle. Ginny grabbed it, raced by Katie and scored.

Fred and George both looked disgusted at failing to stop their sister from scoring.

"Not bad, not bad." said Harry making mental notes.

"Next." Harry called. A girl named Tamara Jacobsen tried out next. Several more followed her, including the Creevy brothers, both of which did so poorly that they had to be sent to the Hospital Wing, and a particularly obnoxious witch named Romilda Vane, who seemed less interested in the Quaffle than she did Harry. Harry could see the fire in Pansy's eyes as she stared down Romilda, who eventually fell off her broom. Whether or not of her own accord, Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Next."

Libra Malfoy walked up.

"Ah, Lib..." she mounted the broom, flew up into the air caught the ball before it even left Katie's hand, flew around, tricked Fred and George completely away from the goals, and scored once, then twice before they managed to get back to keeping.

"Um, wow." was about all Harry could mutter. She was impressive. He figured that like Draco, Libra probably had been on a broom since about the time she could walk. She was a damned good flier and quite skilled in the ways of trickery.

Harry looked at the now empty group of Chasers yet to try out, then turned to those who'd already.

"I'll have the list of new team members in the Great Hall this evening, thank you for trying out."

A few various things were muttered, but all stood and left.

"Okay, Keepers."

The first to try was a burly, rather dumb and arrogant in both Pansy and Harry's opinions, boy named Cormac McClaggen.

Of five shots, Katie scored with each one.

A few more people tried, Frank Shortchique, Amber Tiorosa, and a kid named Thomas Greek all did tolerably. Amber could certainly be used in a pinch if the main Keeper was down, but he knew that they needed someone better.

"Ron Weasley." Ron said snidely as he took off from the ground to take his position in from of the goal posts. He blocked four of the five, and managed to actually catch the fifth. Harry knew, then, who (he) was going to be Keeping.

After dismissing the group and thanking them for trying out, Harry took a walk with Pansy down to the lake and rested.

* * *

"RESULTS OF THE GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH TEAM TRYOUTS 

Team:  
Chasers: Ginny Weasley, Libra Malfoy  
Keeper: Ronald Weasley

Reserve:  
Chaser: Tamara Jacobsen  
Keeper: Amber Tiorosa

Practices begin next Monday at seven. First game: October 24th."

* * *

**A/N: I hated having to cheat to bump off two chasers from the Gryffindor team, but I never really liked either Angelina or Alicia, so, the NEWTs excuse was about the best I could come up with. Either way, it grants us some new faces on the Quidditch team and should make for an excellent match next chapter!"**


	14. Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen – Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw  
**

* * *

"Alright, everyone ready?" said Harry to the rest of his team of Tuesday the 24th of October before their first game of the season, against Ravenclaw. 

A few mumbled yes, while a few more simply nodded. Stepping beside their brooms, they waited for the whistle to sound.

Harry stared across from him at his opposition. Ravenclaw seeker Cho Chang. He'd beaten her before and was more than willing and ready to do it again.

The whistle blew. Instantly, as the Quaffle was thrown into the air, Libra did a magnificently dangerous dive toward the ground, snatched and sped off on her_ Firebolt_ toward the goals.

"Roger Davies coming up quickly behind Libra Malfoy, he'll never catch up to her on that _Firebolt_!" called Lee Jordan's voice from the stands, "They're wicked fast and..." his voice cut off, "GOAL!"

There was some extreme cheering from the Gryffindor side, especially where Hermione and Pansy sat, "Gryffindor leads, 10 to 0. Libra Malfoy with the Quaffle again... she shoots..."

The ball was blocked. The Ravenclaw keeper managed to keep the ball out of the ring, Roger Davies swiped the Quaffle as quickly as he could and headed down for Gryffindor's side.

"Davies in possession of the Quaffle... Oh! Right..." Lee Jordan's voice went a little shaky as Fred Weasley send a Bludger straight at Roger Davies, hitting him dead in the chest.

"Davies drops the Quaffle, Ginny Weasley catches it," Harry could hear more cheering from the Gryffindor side. "That's an odd formation." Lee continued, watching as the three Gryffindor chasers set themselves up in front of the Slytherin stands near the Ravenclaw goal posts. Katie Bell, lowest floated still on her broom about ten feet below Libra, who was about ten feet below Ginny. "Weasley shoots..."

The Quaffle was blocked.

"Libra Malfoy catches the Quaffle... my, is she one hell of a flier... Oh, er... sorry professor." Libra threw the Quaffle straight through the goal post and Lee Jordan shouted, "Another goal for Gryffi... Ginny Weasley catches the Quaffle... Another goal... Holy Cricket!... Katie Bell..."

The calling of the Gryffindor chasers' names continued for nearly three minutes before one of the Ravenclaw beaters took the hint to try to unseat them.

"Oh, ow. That has to hurt." came Lee Jordan's voice, echoing all throughout the stadium. "Libra Malfoy takes a Bludger to the face."

The words ate at Harry. He knew he could help. As Madam Hooch raised up to where Libra sat, bleeding profusely, Harry waved her away and flew over to Libra.

"Gryffindor leads 110 to 0." continued Lee Jordan, "Harry Potter is tending to his chaser himself... he's just waved off Madam Hooch... what is he..."

Harry waved his hand in front of Libra. As he did so, the blood covering her robes disappeared. He waved his arm again, and with a small pop, Libra's nose and forehead healed themselves, and she raced back out to continue playing.

"That has to be a Quidditch first..." came Jordan's voice once again, "Boot with the Quaffle, can Weasley block it... RAVENCLAW SCORES! Gryffindor leads 110 to 10."

Harry scoured the skies, looking for any sign of the Snitch. It was no where to be found. Keeping his eyes on Cho, he watched as she made lazy circles around the pitch. Harry remembered something Libra had told him during their first Quidditch Practice,

_"Most'll fall for it. Just try it, we go against Ravenclaw first."_

Harry spun around and dove downward, pretending his best that he's seen the Snitch. It fooled Lee Jordan.

"Looks like Harry Potter has seen the Snitch, Chang is hot on his tail."

She was, already behind him was the Ravenclaw seeker. As he neared the ground, he quickly pulled upward and raced off in the opposite direction. Cho lost control of her broom and flew off, landing with a small crack in the sand.

The Ravenclaw seeker was out. He'd have to thank Libra...

"Thanks, Libra." he said in her mind. Libra shot a confused look at him as she ducked out of the way of a Bludger. She just shook her head and chased behind Ginny.

"Boot again with the Quaffle." it was Lee Jordan again, "He shoots and..."

Ron spun around, caught the ball with his hand and threw it to his sister. Instantly, Ginny dived straight downward, Libra and Katie peeling of sideways as she spun around, causing an unsuspecting Boot to crash into the goal post about twenty feet below Ron.

"Man.." said Lee, "This is one rough match. Gryffindor has already placed three members of the Ravenclaw team out of comm... GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

Katie had hurled the ball through the hoop as the distracted keeper listened to the commentating. He shook his fist and gritted his teeth.

Behind Ron was a small, glinting golden object.

Harry went for it as fast as he could. It shot upward, Harry turned his broom accordingly, dodged a cleverly shot Bludger from the Ravenclaw beaters, and reached his hand out...

"HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS 270 to 10."

* * *

"Great work, all of you." complemented Harry as they walked down into the Gryffindor changing rooms. Libra Malfoy pulled him off to the side, 

"Don't ever go inside my thoughts again." she hissed. "Or I will give you the worst migraine you've ever had." she wore an upset frown, not one of disappointment, one of anger.

"You.." Harry stammered, "What...?"

Libra widened her eyes toward Harry, and he saw a memory not his own...

_"Libra's dating that Mudblood's brother." he heard the voice of Draco Malfoy spit arrogantly._

_"Is she, now?"_

_"Yes." he heard Libra say sarcastically, "And Draco's all obsessed with Granger himself."_

_"We'll deal with this later."_

Harry took a step back.

"How did you..."

"You're not the only one who can read and manipulate minds, Harry."

She turned and changed out of her Quidditch robes, leaving Harry slack-jawed and scared out of his mind. How Libra Malfoy knew the art of mindseeking was well beyond him, but if she knew, just how many others did?

* * *

**A/N: Well, that should leave you all asking lots of questions...**


	15. The Hogwarts High Inquisitor

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen – The Hogwarts High Inquisitor  
**

* * *

Harry walked somewhat cautiously toward Libra that night at dinner. He wasn't entirely sure for the reason she blew up at him, but he knew he needed to apologize for something, so he set out to do just that. Pansy at his side, he began to speak, 

"Libra?" he said softly, "Can we talk?"

Libra dropped her spoon into her bowl, causing a spray of small bits of stew to fly everywhere, picked up her bag and left the Great Hall. Nick gave a reproachful stare at Harry, who, thankfully, didn't notice.

Harry turned to Pansy,

"Pansy?" his voice was a little hoarse with worry.

"I know, Harry." she mumbled, staring at the empty space where Libra had once sat beside Nick. "It scared me a little, too."

Harry looked into her eyes,

"Do you think she's not telling us something?" he said in a near sad voice. Something was paining Libra, something she quite clearly didn't want to share.

"Almost certainly." said Pansy softly, kissing his cheek for comfort. Harry had never felt so... unable... before. He couldn't remedy the situation and it made him hurt a little. He hated seeing people in pain, and Libra didn't seem to have any desire for healing...

There was a thoroughly awkward silence as Nick Granger pulled his bag over his shoulder and set his spoon down on the table.

"Why that memory, do you think?"

A voice came up from behind them, interrupting their vocalized musings.

"Because she has so few happy memories that she wants to keep them to herself." said Nick irritably, he walked up to Harry and looked him in the eyes.

"Nick?" Harry began to inquire, thinking Nick might be able to help him talk to her.

"Yes?" he responded, almost snidely.

Harry paused for a moment, making sure to ask a question that would be the least prying, yet still help him in any way he could get.

"How much has she told you?"

"As much as she is willing, I don't press her, I love her for who she is." he paused briefly looking into Pansy and Harry's faces, "When she wants you to know, she'll share with you."

"She..."

"She's a had a rough life." said Nick simply, an ever so slight hint of agitation in his voice as he stepped away, "I'm leaving it at that."

He left the Great Hall.

* * *

The table stayed quiet as Nicki Granger and Ginny Weasley stared at Harry for the commotion that had happened only a few moments before. 

"Hey, Pans, there's Hogsmede this weekend." said Harry, adding his intentions to Pansy mentally.

"Oh, really?" she smirked.

"Mhmm." he said simply.

"Think we could sneak some sex on the rooftop of the Three Broomsticks?" asked Pansy, looking quite serious as she stared into Harry's eyes. Across the table, Ginny gagged, accidentally knocking over her bowl and spilling the little remaining contents on the table. Nicki gave the couple a disgusted face. Even Ron and Hermione were starting to raise eyebrows.

"Hmm... three times? One for each broomstick." asked Harry hopefully, hoping that Ginny and Nicki would fall for the façade.

As if an answer to his prayers. Nicki turned and talked loudly with Dennis, ignoring the conversation as best she could, Ginny stood, excused herself, and left the Great Hall.

"Good." said Harry in a low voice, leaning toward Hermione and Ron across the table, "Now that she's gone..."

"You..." Ron contorted his face, "Just to.. get rid of her?"

"Mhmm." said Harry and Pansy in unison.

"You guys are awful." spat Hermione, settling her fork on the edge of her bowl as she looked at Harry.

"Look, Ron, Libra's pretty pissed at me right now," explained Harry, "and I wanted to talk without too many ears."

"What did you do to her?" asked Hermione Harshly, dabbing the sides of her lips with her napkin. Hermione was always one for neatness.

Though Ron would refute that statement, for he knew better when it came to certain situations. But this, thankfully, was something Harry and Pansy hadn't picked up on... yet.

"What, you didn't see the episode we just like like ten minutes ago where Libra stormed out of the Great Hall?" Harry asked, crooking an eyebrow at Hermione.

"Must've missed it..." she said dryly.

Harry ignored her tone and went on,

"She made some great suggestion during one of our Quidditch practices, right?" he paused for a brief second, "So I used it during the game against Ravenclaw... it worked brilliantly... I thanked her.. mentally."

"Mkay... and where comes the part where she blows up at you?" said Ron in much the same tone as Hermione.

"After the match... right before we got changed. She pulled me aside and 'talked loudly' at me, then showed me a memory."

"A memory?" asked Hermione, the pitch of her voice raising a little.

"Just her and Draco arguing with someone about her relationship with Nick." said Harry without intonation.

"Who?"

"Not sure. It was a woman, for sure." Harry continued, "I want to say her mother, but I'm not sure."

"So... let me get this straight... she yells at you to stay out of her mind," began Ron, a little irritated at the situation, "then invades _your_mind to share a memory with you?" he snorted, "Tad hypocritical."

"Yeah, it is. But that's not what scares me." Harry paused for a second as he stilled his voice, "How does she know how to do that... to enter my mind, you know?"

For a short while, there was an oddly peaceful nervous silence.  
_  
Bang._

_Bang._

_Bang.  
_  
Harry looked in the direction of the noise. Clumsily, hammer in hand, caretaker Filch was hammering an sign in an obnoxiously ugly frame on the wall of the Great Hall.

"EDUCATIONAL DECREE NUMBER 23

DOLORES JANE UMBRIDGE HAS BEEN CALLED TO FILL THE NEWLY CREATED HIGH INQUISITOR POSITION TO ADDRESS THE FALLING STANDARDS AT HOGWARTS.

Signed,  
_Cornelius Oswald Fudge_,  
Minister of Magic"

The whole of the table turned to a glowing Professor... High Inquisitor Umbridge who was currently licking a dabble of stew from the collar of her vibrantly pink blouse.

* * *

**A/N: Firstly, congratulations to Neville on his marriage to Hannah Abbott! (See Mugglenet).**

**Secondly, this chapter leads to some cooler stuff later on, I promise.**

**Thirdly, the members of Dumbledore's Army for this series have been posted on the Never Alone forums under the news section. Be sure to check out the list!**

Hmm... only one chapter for today, I'm afraid. I have what I call "writer's fog". I know what I want to write, but... I just don't have the urge to write it. Maybe I'll do another four chapters tomorrow like I did yesterday... 


	16. Time for Hogsmeade

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen – Time for Hogsmeade  
**

* * *

The efforts to fight the domination of the Ministry of Magic... more particularly the domination of Dolores Umbridge at Hogwarts, continued.

With the brilliant mind of Hermione Granger, Harry, Pansy, and Ron had agreed to her little plan.

"Just remember to meet us in the Hogshead at noon." she reminded as she took Ron's hand and headed away from Harry and Pansy.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked Harry innocently. He wasn't entire sure about the whole plan. Either no one would believe him, or someone would rat them out, the chances of success were slim.

"No." said Hermione simply, then she sighed, "But it's our only chance."

Harry gave a subtle nod, then took Pansy's hand, leading her to Honeydukes Sweet Shop. Hermione and Ron left them, presumably to take a swing by the quill shop, as Hermione was always in need of a new quill.

"Hey, Harry," said Pansy softly, "I'll meet up with you in a little bit, okay. I've got some shopping to do..."

Harry looked at her, crooked an eyebrow and waited for a reason that she had to split from him.

"Mhmm." he prompted, staring into her glossy black eyes.

She smiled and patted his cheek.

"Don't try sneaking into my thoughts either, or I'll follow through with Libra's promise." she laughed a little, Harry frowned, and, though he'd never admit to it later, pouted a little.

Her grin widened as she patted his cheek once again and whispered,

"I love you." she leaned forward and kissed him gently on his lips.

He pulled her into a brief hug,

"I love you, too, Pansy." he said softly, kissing her cheek. "Stay out of trouble."

* * *

Harry walked into Honeydukes alone, allowing Pansy on her own to shop for whatever it was that she needed alone. Harry figured it was likely her chance to Christmas shop for him, so he let her be.

Looking at all the various sweets at Honeydukes was quite the feast for one's eyes, and, if you bought anything, which was almost inevitable, it would be a feast for the tongue as well.

All along the walls hung various shelves all covered in boxes and jars of literally thousands of varieties of sweets. From Acid Pops to Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, you could really make yourself sick with all the sugar...

And that was just from breathing it in!

Harry stared at the most peculiar sweet in the shop... it wasn't the Blood Pops... though he had to admit those were a little bizarre, he assumed that they were for vampires, so he shrugged it off. But when he came across...

"Cockroach Clusters?" he nearly gagged as he read the sign aloud. Clumps of the disgusting insect lay in the jar before him, begging to be eaten. He noticed, a little pleasantly, that the jar was nearly completely full...

"Harry?" came a soft voice from what seemed like no where. Harry turned around and looked for the person who'd called his name, but saw no one, not Pansy, nor Hermione.

Being near the door, he assumed someone from outside called to him, and stepped outside. A few people passed by in the streets, but no one he recognized.

"Harry?" the voice came again, it sounded somewhat familiar, this time, it came from a distinct location. Turning from the building, he went into the alleyway between the two shops and saw the face who called to him

It was Libra.

"Hello, Harry."

* * *

**A/N: You can now chat with the author on SKYPE from 6 PM PST to 12 AM PST. If you have a Skype account and are interested in VoIP (Voice Chat) or Skype IM, PM me with your Skype screen name!**

**I realize this chapter is _extremely _short, but it builds up to seventeen, which is far, far more intersting. Hope to see you reviewing! (Hint, hint lurkers)**


	17. Descension of Falling Stars

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen – Descension of Falling Stars  
**

* * *

_It was Libra._

_"Hello, Harry."  
_  
"Libra?" he asked quietly looking at her troubled face. She was a second year, and really oughtn't be in Hogsmeade, but all the same, here she was, standing before him in a solemn manner. She looked up at him, taking in his face before her eyes met his...  
_  
"Hey, sis, watch it!"_

_She felt a pressure on her shoulder as she fell toward the ground. Draco had pushed her over. The mud below her had splashed up, soaking her new robes in a brown filth. Her forehand was grazed where she tried bracing herself, her blood mixed with the muck's darkness._

_"Would you look at that! The Mudblood is wearing off on you!" he scoffed, kicking her before walking away and laughing._

The dark shades of the night sky faded and swirled away, leaving a dimly lit room in its wake. Libra was perched, legs cross on the edge of her bed, staring at her mother. Harry was quite certain it was her mother.

_"Explain yourself, young lady." she growled, pulling her wand from her pocket._

_"There's nothing wrong with him." said Libra, glowering at her during a brief and unnerving silence._

_"You never were very intelligent, but this.. this is too much." hissed Narcissa Malfoy, taking a step forward to get into her daughter's face. "You will cut ties off with him immediately."_

_Libra stubbornly folded her arms,_

_"No."_

_"What did you just say to me?" asked Narcissa, not bothering to hold back a single ounce of anger or frustration._

_"I said _no_." repeated Libra calmly._

_Narcissa raised her free hand quickly and delivered a resounding slap, leaving a bright red mark on her daughter's left cheek._  
_  
"You listen here young lady, I am your mother!" she growled, her eyes shrinking, "You will obey me!"_

_"No." repeated Libra once again, her bravery faltering slightly. She knew what was coming before it did._

_"_Crucio!_"_

_"I will not break up with him..." she said firmly, gritting her teeth from the pain._

_"_Crucio!_"_

_"...Because I love him."_

_The pain was intense. She could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. She knew everything would be alright... she only had to hold onto the image of his smiling face..._

_"_Crucio!_"_

The little brightness there had been left as the vision went completely dark.  
_  
"_Legillimens!_"_

_"This... is... mind rape... and... you.. know...it." screamed Libra as stably as she could through the attack on her mind._

_Lucius Malfoy ripped his wand away, breaking the connection. An immense pain ripped through her head as she fought back tears._

_"You dare affiliate yourself with a Mudblood?" spat Lucius Malfoy, "We always knew you weren't as good as the rest of us, but for Merlin's sakes, live up to our name."_

_Libra laughed through her pain,_

_"The name of a Death Eater? The name none have respect for?"_

_"Hold your tongue." her father growled._

_"I love him." Libra said plainly. A small smile bled its way through on her soft, pale face._

_"There is no such thing as love." snorted Lucius Malfoy, raising his wand._

_"I love him." she repeated, her voice more stable than it had ever been before._

_"_CRUCIO!_"_

The darkness vanished. Libra now stood in the Great Hall, awaiting the sorting ceremony.

_"Nervous?" said a boy beside her._

_"Terrified." she admitted, biting her lower lip, "The whole of my family has been in Slytherin... but... I don't want to be... I couldn't bare to be with my brother..." her voice sounded a little panicky, "I couldn't..."_

_"He that bad?" asked Nick kindly. Libra nodded curtly._

_Nick took a step toward her and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back affectionately._

_"What... are you doing?" Libra asked, completely startled by this action._

_"Hugging you." he said simply._

_"Oh," she said, relaxing, "I've never had one of these before."_

_She felt herself fill with warmth, her body filled with a strangely unfamiliar sensation. She'd later come to recognize this as happiness._

_"Granger, Nikolas!"_

_"That's me, sorry." said Nikolas, removing his arms from around her and walking to the stool beside the old woman holding the tattered hat. Without his arms around her, Libra felt uncomfortably empty._

_"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the Sorting Hat only moments after it was placed upon Nick's head. Libra felt herself desperately longing to join Nick and his house._

_She waited for her name to be called, nervously biting her lip harder as she awaited her name to be called._

_"Malfoy, Libra" her insides exploded with nervousness as she shook slightly, walking toward the stool she sat and felt the Hat lowered onto her head._

_"Hmm... a Malfoy." began the Hat. Libra already could sense she didn't like this thing._

_"Yes. I'm a Malfoy." thought Libra dryly._

_"Quite cunning, just like your grandmother. Very smart... a new trait for your family, If I do say so myself... and I do..." the Hat paused for a moment, "But where to put you..."_

_"If you don't put me in Gryffindor I'll personally shred you." thought Libra irritably, staring off longingly in Nick's direction.  
_  
_"Well... if you're sure..." said the Hat, proudly... "GRYFFINDOR!"_

"_WHAT!?" screeched a rather disturbed Draco Malfoy from across the hall. Libra stood shakily and walked to sit next to Nikolas at the Gryffindor table._

_She leaned over to his ear and whispered a barely audible, "Thanks."_

Once again the surroundings changed, but she was still in the Great Hall, great crystalline icicles adorned its entirety, giving it a majestic feel. She had Nick's arm wrapped around her waist and his hand entwined with hers. They were exceptionally close.  
_  
"Libra?" Nick said softly._

_"Mhmm?'_

_"I love you." he said kindly, kissing her on her lips. She felt like she was going to melt... and it wasn't just because they were rather close to a torch... she felt herself join in on the kiss affectionately, moving her hands behind his neck as she begged him for just a little more.  
_

The glassy look of the ice crystals surrounding the Great Hall vanished. Libra was looking up at a list of names,

_"I made it..." she breathed, her hand was grasped and held._

_"How could you not, you were brilliant!" said Nick, smiling widely. He hugged her and kissed her affectionately. She _really_ could get used to this love thing.  
_

As Libra's hold on Harry's thoughts relaxed, Harry felt himself returning to the dim alleyway in Hogsmeade.

"I..."

"Don't feel sorry for me." she said quickly, but calmly, "I didn't show you those memories for that." her voice then got a little shaky, "I just need you to understand... and to forgive me."

"Forgive you?" Harry asked, sounding a hint confused.

"I'll understand if you choose not to." she sighed, turning her head to look away from him.

"Forgive you for what?" Harry asked kindly, turning her face back toward him gently with his hand cupped around her wet cheek. A few tears streaked down from her eyes,

"The way I've been acting.." she said shakily, fighting off the distortion that crying brings to one's voice.

Harry pulled her into a hug and held her. Though he couldn't see it, she was smiling weakly.

"I really like these." she said softly, another tear racing down her cheek.

* * *

**A/N: So now we know considerably more about my favorite OC. Smiles!**

**As always, I'd love to hear from you; in reviews and now, also, in Skype! If you have a Skype account, feel free to PM me with your screen name to have a one-on-one or group chat with the author!**


	18. The Plan, The Way, and The Will

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen – The Plan, The Way, and The Will  
**

* * *

Pansy got what she wanted where she shopped. For drama, of course, we won't be revealing even the shop's name, so it'll drive you extra nuts. 

Pansy allowed her mind to open up once again, using her tie to Harry to locate him in a small alley between Honeydukes and some other shop the author is too lazy to name.

She saw Harry, his arms wrapped firmly around a sobbing Libra Malfoy. She knew this would happen eventually, but had to admit she didn't think Libra would be brave enough to venture out to Hogsmeade as a second year to do so.

She smiled as she walked up on them, her face filling with a little compassion for Libra as she dipped into Harry's thoughts relating to what occurred between the two.

"It's almost noon, Harry." said Pansy softly, placing her arm on Harry's shoulder, right beside where Libra's tiny hand held on tightly, "We need to get going."

Libra jumped a little, releasing Harry instantly,

"I... Hogshead, yes?" was about all she managed to say.

"Mhmm." said Harry simply.

When she realized Pansy wasn't going to hex her into oblivion for hugging her husband, Libra relaxed,

"This is that anti-Umbridge meeting that I've been hearing rumors about?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes." responded Pansy simply.

"I'll go, if you don't mind." said Libra, breathing in deeply, "I'm tired of not learning anything in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I'm here anyways..."

* * *

"A fair few." was Hermione's response as she opened the door to the Hogshead. She smiled a little as she stepped inside. Pansy, Harry, and Ron all felt their eyes bulge. 

There were at least thirty people sitting in various chairs before them. The bartender looked stuck between exhilaration that he had so many potential customers, and annoyed that his rather small bar was fast exceeding its maximum number of occupants.

"A few?" Ron choked, staring at a few of the people in the audience... we'll call it that 'cause it's big enough.

"The idea... caught on..." said Hermione, almost laughing.

"A bit?" said Harry, raising his eyebrows toward Hermione, then taking to see Pansy's reaction.

"Should we have sex on one of their tables to get rid of a few?" she asked cleverly, smirking mischievously.

"No, I think those two in the back would be to..." Harry trailed off as Ginny Weasley made a loud noise impersonating... very well, mind, Professor Umbridge. A few people actually jumped and searched around for the humongous toad, and were relieved to discover that she had not yet discovered the bar... as it seemed to be full of flies and the distinct odor of goat feces...

"HEM HEM."

"Oh, right." said Harry, turning to look at the people before him, but it was Hermione that spoke, she actually sounded a little nervous.

"Hi... so... you all know why we're here." she said, gaining a little vocal stability as she spoke, "We need a teacher... a proper teacher." she grinned cutely with a look toward Harry, "One who's had real experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."

There was a short silence before Terry Boot spoke up,

"If Potter could tell us more about how Krum got killed..."

Harry felt irritated already. He was not here to discuss the events of the past. He was here, as they all were fully aware, to help them actually defend themselves, seeing as Voldemort was now up and active again.

The thought made Harry cringe. Voldemort was back and Harry had spent the better part of the last five months screwing around in the merry bliss of matrimony and friendship... remembering that he was supposed to be angry as the author got back to the story, Harry spoke,

"I'm not going to talk about Viktor. If that's why you're here, you might as well clear out now."

No one made to move, but Luna stood some and asked a question, her blonde hair rested delicately against her thin waist,

"Is it true you can do wandless magic?"

"Yes, all four of us can." said Pansy immediately, allowing an orb of fire appear in her hand, several of the audience gasped.

"Facing this stuff in real life is not like school." explained Harry, wanting them to realize that this wasn't just about learning pretty magic tricks, but about defending themselves, "In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again the next day. But, out there, when you're a second away from having the life ripped out of you, or forced to watch your friend die before your eyes... "

"That's why we need a real teacher, Harry." Luna responded, once again taking her seat beside Neville.

* * *

After using a little more of their charm and knowledge to convince people to join, Hermione wrote up a charter and had each person sign their name below their house. Harry was actually a little surprised to see more than one Slytherin on the list. 

"DEFENSE ASSOCIATION

GRYFFINDOR  
Angelina Johnson  
Alicia Spinnet  
Fredrick Weasley  
George Weasley  
Katie Bell  
Neville Longbottom  
Ronald Weasley  
Dean Thomas  
Parvati Patil  
Lavender Brown  
Harry Potter  
Hermione Granger  
Ginevra Weasley  
Colin Creevy  
Tamara Jacobsen  
Libra Malfoy

RAVENCLAW  
Amanda Coolidge  
Samantha Fawcett  
Cho Chang  
Jamie Wright  
Terry Boot  
Anthony Goldstein  
Padma Patil  
Luna Lovegood

HUFFLEPUFF  
Cedric Diggory  
Hannah Abbott  
Susan Bones  
Justin Finch-Fletchley  
Zacharias Smith  
Rose Green  
David Jacobsen

SLYTHERIN  
Pansy Potter  
Blaise Zabini  
Kent Aragon"

* * *

"It's a start," said Harry, sighing a little as he turned his attention to those preparing to leave, "but we still need somewhere to meet." 

People stood still for a moment and listened to Hermione speak,

"True. Everyone keep your eyes peeled for possible meeting locations and report what you find to us as soon as possible. We'll send word when and where the first meeting is to take place."

A few people nodded in acknowledgment and left. Hermione breathed deeply and smiled,

"It feels good, you know?" she said, laughing a little, "Breaking the rules..."

Ron stared at her as if she were under the Imperius curse again...

"Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully a decent mix of canon and new material in this chapter.. if not... well, I can't do much about it, so you'll just have to wait for the next chapter.**

**As always, reviews are wonderful, so all you avid reviewers and sneaky lurkers, review!**


	19. Hagrid's Tale

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen – Hagrid's Tale  
**

* * *

**A/N: Parts of this chapter inspired by Nicholis Louw's **_**Rock Daai Lyfie**_

It seemed like not even three minutes into being back at Hogwarts when, once again, Harry found himself alone with Libra. Pansy had run off with Hermione for some reason, and Ron, being the wonderful clingy boyfriend he was, took off with her, leaving Harry and Libra standing alone in the Entrance Hall.

Why Harry didn't run off with them, he wasn't entirely sure, but he was almost certain it had to deal with the fact that the author needed to get Libra and him alone again, so he let it fly. Besides, he was coming to rather like Libra. She reminded him greatly of a younger Pansy with just a hint of Hermione.

Libra stood in the centre of the hall, looking distinctly alone, despite Harry being only a foot away. Harry saw, in her eyes, a look of distractedness that Harry had learned to associate with Luna Lovegood. He was sure that Libra was deep in thought, almost certainly thinking about the goings on of the day.

A pair of tears found their way down Libra's cheeks. Libra was crying silently. Harry, thinking because the author gave him a brain in the previous part of the series, walked up to Libra and wrapped his arms around her, once again caressing her back as he had done back in Hogsmeade. Libra instantly took to the hug, wrapping her own arms around Harry in a tight embrace.

"I can do so many things," said Libra in a small voice, "for reasons... I... wish I didn't..."

Harry was a little confused by her broken ramblings, but, nonetheless continued to listen patiently and kindly.

"You already know I've been... abused." she said in a rather dry tone, she drew her head back to look into Harry's eyes, "Desperation is a terrible thing, Harry." she sighed, "I can do almost any spell without a wand." she said this in a further drier tone. "Because... when my mother... and my father," she choked slightly on calling Lucius Malfoy her father, "attacked me... I couldn't let it happen. I spent years crying myself to sleep... fighting back the terrible memories in my head. But when you have nothing else, there's no refuge, you know?" she breathed deeply, "I couldn't let it happen." she repeated, then expanded on her statement, "Again, I couldn't sleep, so I spent those restless nights learning to tame my magic. Learning to control it. I didn't have a wand." she said this all quite slowly, then added a bitter afterthought, "I didn't need a wand."

Harry wiped a tear from her face and kissed her forehead. Libra let herself rest against him again,

"So you can do wandless magic?" Harry asked curiously.

"Yes." she said simply, but went further, "Remember when I... yelled at you for getting inside of my head?"

Harry nodded.

"It was because the only other person that has been in my mind... was my father. He pried deep into my mind this summer, Harry. I'm sure he's done it before, but he's likely _Obliviated_ me before now."

Harry thought for a moment,

"Why didn't he this summer?"

"Because I won."

This time it was Harry's turn to pull back and look at Libra.

"I won." she repeated, "Each time he entered my mind and used that wretched _Legillimens_ spell on me I watched mentally, where he went, _how_ he went." she paused some, "And then, the last time he used it on me... I fought back." she took an expression somewhere between extreme amusement and insanity, "I almost killed him."

Harry almost asked why she hadn't, it certainly would have put her in Pansy's good books, but Harry thought better of the question.

"It's now so easy for me to enter someone's mind." she explained, "I've done it so much... on my family originally, of course. To scare Draco away from me... that's why he's not really bothered me this year... on my mother when she used the Cruciatus curse on me..." she paused, "Now, all I have to do is look at someone and I can see into their soul." she smiled somewhat, "And the reason I didn't kill him... something inside me told me he's needed for later."

Harry tried to not look a little startled, she had just read his mind without him even noticing.

"Nothing to be afraid of, Harry." she said calmly, "I won't hurt you." her words were honest. "But you really do need to learn how to defend your thoughts."

"I do." said Harry simply. "Could you teach me?"

She smiled mischievously,

"In good time. Perhaps in a Defense Association meeting."

Harry smiled at the fact that she would be attending the meetings. He was exceedingly excited and very glad that she was their ally and not their enemy. It scared the hell out of him that anyone this young could be so magically adept. But, as she said, desperation is a terrible thing. She was quite skilled in magic, Harry knew, but had a terrible past, a horrific experience growing up. Harry suddenly felt a growing connection between himself and the little blonde Malfoy girl in his arms.

"Yes," she sighed softly, "I've had a rough childhood." she looked up into Harry's eyes, "But I can see yours has not exactly been all fun and games either."

"It's been no where near as bad as yours." admitted Harry. Libra responded sagely,

"If you are burned by a candle, how much does it hurt?" she continued holding his gaze.

"A little." Harry responded, unsure of where this was going.

"And if you are burned by a torch, how much does it hurt?"

"A lot." Harry said instantly, a little confused.

"And if you are burned by the candle, and I am burned by the torch, do we not both hurt?"

"Yes." said Harry simply. "I don't understand."

"If we're both hurt, and all we can think about is how much it hurts, no matter how small the injury may be, it leaves a lasting scar. Time only stretches that scar, but understanding... understanding helps make that scar fade."

Harry still wasn't quite sure where she was going with this.

"I understand you, Harry." Harry nearly snorted with laughter. What an odd thing to say. "And you understand me."

A thought struck Harry,

"You want to help me?" Harry was kind of puzzled, but he knew he was headed in the right direction.

"I want us to help each other, Harry." she smiled weakly. "We've both been burned, we know that it hurts. We understand one another's pains, we can heal one other."

She was starting to sound annoyingly like Dumbledore...

Here he was, trying to comfort her, and he gets an offer for help he didn't even realize he needed. What a strange author...

"I'll help you heal." said Harry awkwardly, noticing the strangeness of his words.

"And I'll help you heal and defend your thoughts." she whispered, kissing his cheek. "Thank you for the hugs, by the way. I'm fast finding them to be one of my favorite pastimes."

Behind him, Hermione came racing into the Great Hall,

"Harry! Hagrid's back!"

Taking Libra's wrist, whether or not she herself felt inclined to come, Harry raced out to Hagrid's Hut following with quick steps behind Hermione. 

Harry near fell flat on his face on the cobblestone path, and would have were it not for a sudden tug upward by Libra, who continued after the panting bookworm, finally coming to a stop before the half-giant himself. Libra relased her grip on Harry's arm as Hagrid pulled Harry into a huge, one-armed hug, hampered only by the fact that his right hand was occupied holding a large slab of bloody meat to his head.

Motioning Harry, Libra, and Hermione inside, Hagrid closed the door and took a seat across from Ron and Pansy, where Harry took his seat.

"It's good to see you back, Hagrid!" said Harry happily, smiling widely. "But, what happened to your face?"

"Wha' you mean to tell me it 'asn't always looked this bad?" he chuckled softly, shook his head and grinned, "Order business." he said simply, rubbing on the meat some.

"Um, Libra's not in the Order... nor is she in on the secret." thought Pansy to Harry.

"What is that?" asked Libra inquisitively.

"Dragonflesh." said Hagrid quickly. "Rather 'spensive, but it 'elps with the cuts and bruises, ya see?"

"It's okay," thought Harry to Pansy, "We can trust her."

"Cuts and bruises?"

"Yeah, wen' to go talk to the Giants for the Order." Hagrid admitted, peeling the Dragonflesh from his face to reveal a series of nasty cuts and bruises. Harry stood and frowned, then walked over to Hagrid.

"I can heal those." he said simply, waving his hand first to remove the blood, then to restore the skin.

Hagrid looked a little amazed but thanked Harry and tossed the Dragonsflesh to Fang.

"The Giants did that to you?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Yeah, it'd seem tha' the Order'sn't the only ones that been talkin' to 'em, see?" Hagrid sighed, "You-know-who got there first."

Libra gasped.

"Voldemort got there first?"

Pansy, Harry, Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione all looked at Libra in shock. She hadn't even hesitated to say the Dark Lord's name. She wasn't at all afraid of him.

When the shock washed out of his system, Hagrid nodded.

There was a knock on the door.

It was Umbridge. Thinking his intents to Hermione, Ron, and Pansy, Harry quickly took Libra's hand and Blinked out behind Hagrid's hut, then watched as she was invited inside by the half-giant.

"Ah, Mr. Hagrid." she said in that poisonously false sweet voice, "It's good to see you back."

"Good to be back." Hagrid grunted.

If only he knew.

* * *

**A/N: A rather long chapter, but it gives us some good information, I think. Hopefully the Libra/Harry interaction wasn't written too poorly. Comes of a little flowery, I think, but oh well.**

**This story is AU. Grawp does not exist.**


	20. The Room of Requirement

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty – The Room of Requirement  
**

* * *

Now, we all have come to know and hate the toad. By toad, I mean of course Professor Umbridge. Being recently granted additional powers by the Ministry of Magic, Umbridge was going on an evil escapade to destroy, insult, and otherwise humiliate the other professors. She had taken a particualr interest in Professor Trelawney, who, though Harry knew she was almost a fraud, she actually had given at least two true predictions. The first, ironically, predicting his and Pansy's getting together, the second, the returning of Peter Pettigrew to Lord Voldemort. Harry wasn't sure if she'd ever given any other prophecies that actually bothered to come true, but he wasn't about to be too optimistic as his grim had yet to make an appearance. 

"Could you make a prediction for me?"

The question, seemingly so simple, merely offended Trelawney.

"The inner eye does not see upon command!" she whined, it was quite close to desperate pleading. Harry wasn't entirely sure if she was pleading for her job or for her life. Either way, he did feel quite sorry for her.

"Should we intervene?" asked Harry to Pansy mentally. Apparently, Umbridge hadn't yet noticed she was observing Trelawney in a class that contained Harry and Pansy both. Her eyes widened slightly when Pansy conjured up a small flame in the palm of her hand and began to play with it.

"Put that away young lady." hissed Umbridge.

"Certainly." said Pansy with a wicked grin, allowing the fire to vanish, she waved her arm at the door which opened instantly, then once again at Umbridge who was lifted by her knickers into the air and out the door, the door swinging shut behind her, slamming on her enormous behind as it did so, the occasional crash could be heard as Umbridge hit a new flight of stairs.

"Now, what were you saying about dreams, professor?" said Pansy sweetly to a wide-eyed Professor Trelawney.

The poor professor was torn between extreme gratitude and her professorial duty to punish such actions.

It was quite amusing.

Next on the list of professors to torture was Hagrid. In a particularly interesting lesson about Thestrals, the enormous toad decided to poke her nose in on his teaching, asking frequent questions about varying aspects of his methods to various students, rather than consult what he was actually doing itself. Harry heard a particularly smug Theodore Nott telling Umbridge, whilst she scribbled notes anxiously on her pink clipboard, that it was rather difficult to understand Hagrid as he grunted incoherently for the vast majority of his lesson. As Umbridge left, Harry set Nott's robes on fire.

Now, perhaps among the most entertaining of all of Umbridge's teacher inquiries was professor McGonagall's. Quite unlike the first two professors, she had little problem defending her own self.

"Hem, hem." said Professor Umbridge from the back of the classroom for what seemed like easily the millionth time.

"Excuse me, Dolores, but how do you expect to a reasonable sample of my teaching methods if you consistantly interrupt the lesson?"

Leaving a majority of the classroom smiling, Umbridge remained quiet for the remainder of the class period.

A close runner-up in hilarity was easily professor Snape. Having heard in advance from Libra that Umbridge would be inspecting Snape's class that evening, Pansy and Harry made a slightly early visit to their Potions professor for a quick chat.

"Now," began Harry, "Professor, we don't usually get along."

"But," continued Pansy, "Today we face a mutual enemy."

"We know Umbridge will be in here later, during class. She's quite intimidated by Pansy, so if you feel irritated by her, feel free to wink in our direction, and, for our amusement rather than your sake, believe me, we'll intervene and take care of her."

"I think I can deal with her on my own." grunted Snape, playing idly with his wand in his hands as more of the class trickled in.

Following in accordance to what Libra had read for the toad's thoughts, Professor Umbridge walked into the class and immediately interrupted,

"It says here you first applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, you were unsuccessful?"

"Obviously." grunted Snape, stealing a glance at Harry.

"And you've been at this post how long?" she continued, Harry could see the annoyance in Snape's eyes building. Harry wasn't sure Snape even harbored quite this much loathing for Harry.

Rather than answer, Snape grudgingly winked in Pansy's direction.

As Umbridge began to re-ask the question, Pansy stood,

"I'm sorry, professor, but I would rather listen to his long-winded drawls about how useless my husband is in Potions than your constant badgering about irreverent details concerning his career. Now, if you don't mind, Professor Snape, please continue."

Umbridge shot an annoyed glance at Pansy,

"Young lady, I should have had you expelled..."

Pansy glared at Umbridge,

"Would you like me to remind you why you haven't? Or are you not keen to go down eight flights of stairs again?"

Umbridge hushed. Snape laughed.

That's right.

Snape laughed.

* * *

Harry sat in the Quartet Common Room laughing with Pansy late that night, recounting the events of that day. Most particuarly the laugh Snape gave went Umbridge went quiet and pale. 

"We still need somewhere to meet for the Defense Association." said Harry sadly, "We need to meet soon, this is only going to get worse as Umbridge starts removing teachers from their posts."

Pansy nodded. A small pop was heard in the corner of the room as a wide-eyed elf appeared.

It was Dobby.

"I am being sorry, sir, madam. But Dobby could not help but hearings that you needs a hidden place to be holding a meeting?"

Pansy nodded curtly.

"Dobby is knowing of a place, sir. We House-elves call it the Come-and-Go Room."

"Where is it?" asked Harry interestedly.

"Hidden, sir, on the Seventh floor. Across a tapestry of wizard trying to train trolls to dance ballet, sir."

"How do we get into it?" asked Pansy, wrapping her fingers in between Harry's as he took her hand.

"Three times walk by the wall, sir. Sir must be thinking of what Master needs. The room changes to meet the needs of the Master, sir."

"So if we needed this Room... of Requirement... to keep hidden from someone, it could do it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you, Dobby, thank you."

* * *

**A/N: Not a whole lot of new stuff in this chapter, but its stuff that has to happen, so voilà.**

**As always, I'd love to hear from you in both reviews and Skype. If you have Skype SN, feel free to PM me. Skype can be downloaded and used for free online.**


	21. Defense Association

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-one – Defense Association**

* * *

Sitting at the Gryffindor table, Libra at one side, Pansy on the other, Harry observed as Hermione's eyebrows became more at risk of merging. Focusing all her efforts on pointing her wand at what was almost certainly a gold Galleon, she swore out loud. 

"RON!" she growled, "I swear, this would be so much easier if your thoughts weren't so bloody loud!"

"Sorry," he mumbled, "But you're gorgeous when you're frustrated."

"What exactly are you trying to do, Hermione?" asked Harry innocently, watching as she once again flicked her wand in the direction of a coin.

"A Protean charm." she said through gritted teeth, "This is a duplicate Galleon, it's fake. I'm trying to make it so that when we can change the numbers on the original to reflect time and date... then all the fakes will change to reflect that and grow warm."

Harry looked at Hermione,

"You know that sounds like the Death Eater's tattoos, right?"

Hermione nodded, flicking her wand again at the coin,

"That's actually where I got the idea." she growled, grabbed the coin, looked into Ron's eyes (leaving Harry to believe she was sharing some mental conversation with him), grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of his chair, "Come on, Ron."

Ron wasn't panicked or afraid. He smiled widely as Hermione removed him from the Great Hall. Libra looked a little pale.

"If he's getting ready to be yelled at... why is he so bloody happy?" Harry asked.

Libra grimaced and turned to Harry,

"She's not going to yell at him, Harry." Libra then shared her knowledge with Harry mentally.

Harry closed his eyes and fought laughter.

"Well, that's not how I imagined Hermione would get rid of stress."

Lavender and Parvati both went pale. Pansy smirked.

* * *

It took a while, but quite finally, the first date for the Defense Association was set. Word had been spread to all those who'd signed up, and Harry was certain word would spread a little further, to others that might be interested. He hoped it would be only for reasons of joining, and not for malign purposes. 

Either way, Harry had just entered the Room of Requirement, a much calmer Hermione, Ron, and Pansy behind him.

Several members were already present. Ginny Weasley, Blaise Zabini, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood stood awaiting Harry's first words as Hannah Abbot and the Weasley twins came in behind him.

After waiting a while longer for the remainder to show up, Harry noted there were several people who'd not been present at the Hogsmeade meeting. Hermione, thinking ahead, had brought the parchment, allowing them to add their names:

GRYFFINDOR  
Dennis Creevy  
Nikolas Granger  
Nicole Granger  
Gabrielle Delacour

SLYTHERIN  
Sarah Aragon  
Kimberly Aragon

Harry looked at the group before him and took a deep breath.

"Every great witch and wizard has started out as little more than we are today," he began walking among the group as he spoke, "But to survive to become the next greatest witches and wizards, we must first learn to defend ourselves, and then, how to fight."

Harry looked at Pansy,

"My wife and I will duel for you before we begin learning the Disarming Charm. Everything my wife and I use in this duel we will teach you this year. We have no secrets. Anything we withhold from you is just one step closer you are to being destroyed."

Terry Boot spoke immediately,

"Disarming Charm?" he scoffed, grinning widely, looking at those around him to see their reactions, "You really think that's going to help us?"

Pansy spoke solemnly,

"It saved my husband's life this summer." she took Harry's hand and kissed his cheek.

Terry grunted and sighed,

"So, let's see this duel."

Harry and Pansy both vanished.

"What the..." came from about half of the audience, the final word of their statement varying in vulgarity. "They just van..."

Harry and Pansy reappeared in opposite parts of the room.

"You can't Apparate in Hogwarts!" breathed Nicki Granger.

"How true that is, little sis." Hermione smiled, "But they didn't Apparate. They used something called Blinking."

"Dumb name." grumbled Blaise Zabini.

"Holy..." several members shrieked as Pansy threw an enormous Flame Whip Curse in Harry's direction. Several ducking and dodging, shuffling off to the sides of the room, out of harm's way.

Harry waved his arm toward a chair and allowed the whip to grab hold of it, then, almost instantly, cast a freezing charm. The flames sizzled and small icicles appeared on the legs of the chair. Harry blasted the frozen mess off to the side and shot of a pair of Stunning Jinxes. Pansy vanished. Harry, realizing what she was about to do, did the same.

They, as they'd done so many times before in past duels, appeared in positions opposite what they'd held just the moment before. Pansy whipped her arms upward, casting two powerful Stunning Jinxes in Harry's direction.

"Wait..." gasped Ginny, "They're using wandless and silent magic." she looked at Hermione with wide eyes, "That's nearly impossible to..."

"Where there is a will, there is a way." Hermione smiled and returned her attention to the duel, where Harry threw up an Air Suppression Shield, blocking both her jinxes, Blinked behind her and stunned her before she could turn around.

As had become the custom, Harry unstunned her and gave her a passionate kiss.

Libra looked at Nick and smiled,

"I'm looking forward to dueling you."

Everyone clapped loudly as Harry broke the kiss with Pansy and smiled at the audience.

"Now." said Harry, waving his hand upward as his wand flew into his grasp, and brandishing it at random people in the Defense Association. "Wands at the ready." he smiled as people frantically fumbled through their robes to find their wands. "Now, pair off."

People instantly did so. Harry spoke loudly and clearly,

"Now, point at your opponent and say the incantation _Expelliarmus_!"

A few people muttered the words under their breath. Libra tucked her wand away and held her hand out dramatically in Nick's direction,

"_Expelliarmus!_"

The wand flew out of Nick's hand as he was thrown back several feet, landing with a dull thump against the wall behind him.

"Not bad at all, Libra!" the excitement and pride in Harry's voice was unhidable, "First try and wandless!"

Libra didn't bask in the glory of her accomplishment, instead, she raced over to Nick and took him into her arms.

"Oh, Nick I'm sorry, I'm sor..." she was cut off as Nick's lips met hers. Smiling brightly as her arms came up and met Nick's cheeks she deepened the kiss further.

Ron's wand flew out of his hand at clanked against the wall. Hermione looked confused.

"I haven't even cast the spell yet!" she laughed. Harry eyed Fred and George suspiciously as they grinned and waved.

"_Expelliarmus!_" shouted Luna as her spell crashed into Neville, sending him flying back, landing on his rump as his wand bounced off the ground. Luna walked over to him calmly and helped him up.

A huge smashing sound came from the other side of the room, accompanied by several shushes, as a suit of armor crashed down beside Blaise Zabini. A triumphant Ginny Weasley smiled as she breathed in and sauntered over to aid his return to his feet.

* * *

**A/N: Little bit of action and comedy in that wonderful chapter. Hope you enjoyed. As always I love to see reviews.**

**More information concerning the **_**fourth and final**_** part to this series will release soon. I expect to have the chapter list up for book four "Apotheosis" some time tonight.**


	22. Separation of Heart and Soul

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-two – Separation of Heart and Soul  
**

* * *

The second spell on the list of things to learn that day was the wonderful Stunning Jinx. This of course, received a snide comment from Terry Boot, who was promptly stunned into silence by an irritated Hannah Abbott. 

Libra growled as her boyfriend once again went rigid as he was stunned by yet another jinx she did not cast. Turning to Fred and George, who were smirking and laughing silently, she cast Stunning Jinxes at them both and ran to Nick to help him up, earning her yet another passionate kiss.

A good fifteen minutes later, Harry decided to call the meeting, as it was already getting dangerously close to curfew. Hermione pulled a coin bag from her robes and began handing them out to each member.

"These aren't real Galleons." she explained as a few people started to get thoroughly excited. "Normally, the numbers on the coin represent a serial number unique to the Goblin that coined the currency. But these coins will all change to reflect a time and date of the next meeting, based on Harry's coin."

"You can do a Protean Charm?" asked Fred in amazement as his eye sparkled some in the light reflecting off his fake galleon.

"Mhmm."

"That's NEWT level magic." said George and Hannah Abbott in unison.

"Well..."

"She is the brightest witch of her age." finished Ron, pulling her into a close hug as several people filed out by house into the halls.

"I'm going to stay just a little longer, Pans." explained Harry, though she already knew why, "I'll meet up with you in a little bit."

Nick nodded to Libra and followed Pansy out the Room of Requirement. Libra smiled at their solitude and looked at Harry mischievously.

Harry felt his eyes cross some as his surroundings changed in a whir of color and sound.  
_  
"How many are there?"_

_"Thirty-six, counted 'em myself!"_

_"Thirty-six? But last year I had thirty-seven!"_

_"Well, yes, but some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year's."_

_"I don't care how big they are!"_

_"Now, now pumpkin, when we go into town, we're going to buy you two new presents, how does that sound?"_

_"That'd give me... thirty... thirty..."_

_"Thirty-eight."  
_  
His surroundings changes once again and Harry found himself quite wet, in both aspects of the term. Harry was inside Pansy in the Prefect's bathroom, the first time they made love.

As the memory concluded, Harry could hear Libra sigh the same soft sigh of pleasure he had that day.

Forcing her out of that memory, he jerked his thoughts toward his memories of Voldemort's return, feeling his own pains again for the first time in several months.

He heard Libra scream in pain, not wanting to hurt her, he switched thoughts again, to his first kiss with Pansy.

He wasn't granting her access to any memory she wanted, that was something at least, even if the memories he showed her weren't terrible. Then again, this was Libra, he certainly didn't need to torture her.

Harry felt gentle lips brush against his own, not just in the memory, but...

Harry jumped back some as he brought himself into _the now_. Libra too jumped back as she was forced to come back to reality. Libra looked thoroughly panicked and afraid, she clearly had not intended to do what she had just done,

"I'm sorry... I couldn't... how the hell did you do that?... I'm sorry..." she continued rambling as Harry kindly caressed her cheek and pulled her into a hug. Clearly, Libra had been quite fully immersed in the memory. If he could use that same tactic against others, others who would do harm against him, it would be a most powerful advantage. Harry chuckled softly,

"If I'd've know what you'd do when I forced a memory like that, I'd have used a different memory."

Harry heard the faint puffing sound that was reminiscent of Blinking. With a glance across the room, he saw Pansy standing with her arms folded, her eyes twinkling in the dim torchlight, and a smirk across her face.

"What, our encounter with the Death Eaters on our honeymoon or the first time we had sex?"

"She saw and felt the latter on her own." Harry chuckled. He could feel Libra's cheeks warm against his as he spoke, she was obviously blushing brightly. Harry kissed Libra on her forehead and released her from the hug. Libra turned around hesitantly and made for the door.

"You're a fast learner, Harry." said Libra, very clearly referring to defending his own mind. Libra couldn't teach him very much, but what she could, she would.

"Oh, that's what I said our first time!" joked Pansy, Libra tried to ignore her.

"We'll try again soon, hopefully you'll get a little better."

"I said that, too! I'll be damned!" Pansy joked, once again. Libra tuned her out, trying desperately not to blush any harder.

"Seems you don't have much more to learn from me." she smiled weakly, trying to cover her embarrassment, "Anyways, I'd best be getting back to Nick, we have some studying to do."

Pansy cast Libra a knowing smile as the door to the Room closed. Harry walked to Pansy and swept her into his arms, leaning downward to kiss her as passionately as ever.

* * *

**A/N: So... that was an awkward and _hopefully_ at least amusing chapter. Libra has not nor is she going to fall for or lust after Harry, so you can all take comfort in that fact. She wasn't at all in control of that situation.**

**We now know that if two people are having a 'mental fight' like that, most particularly when memories are being pushed using the ancient magic, the person being forced into the memory may unwillingly act it out.**

**Chapter list for part four is now available at the Never Alone News forum.  
**


	23. Retaliation

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three – Retaliation**

* * *

Harry sat across from McGonagall, his legs crossed in a manly fashion as he listened to her talk about his future in the world of magic. Having actually done little thinking in this area, as with most other areas, actually, Harry decided to take the advice of the late Barty Crouch, Jr., Death Eater, who, last year, told him he'd make an extraordinary Auror. 

If a Death Eater said he'd make a good Auror, hey, it had to be true! Harry spoke with McGonagall alone, physically, at least, as was the procedure, but Pansy listened in on the conversation, with his permission, of course, seeing as it was their future he was to be securing, and also because Pansy had allowed him to listen in on much the same conversation where she too decided she wanted to be an Auror. For some reason, hunting down human beings like wild rabbits just had the right kind of feel for Pansy.

"Your marks are acceptable," continued Professor McGonagall, "all of your Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers have given you excellent marks."

The professor opened her mouth once again to speak, then closed it as the enormous form of Harry's current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher made her appearance, an obnoxiously smug smile ran across her face as her portly fingers played with a loose string on her blindingly pink sweater.

"Hem, hem." Once again, her annoying false sweet voice spoke, she tilted her head and raised her eyebrows in false disappointment at the situation, "If you'll look at this years marks, Minerva, the marks _I've_ set, you'll find that..."

"I'm sorry," began McGonagall in her own false sweet tones, raising her eyes to meet the Toad's, "I meant to say all his marks set by _competent_ teachers where excellent."

McGonagall smiled and returned her attentions toward Harry.

"Now, you'll need..."

Harry could feel the heat resonating off from Umbridge, even as she was nearly five feet from him. She puffed up her chest indignantly as spoke using her bitter, old crone voice.

"They won't let him into the Auror Training program without..." she began, McGonagall instantly cut her off. If Umbridge hadn't been mad before, she most certainly would have been now. Both professor's eyes met one another with the hate that could only be rivaled by the loathing Snape showed Harry, and even that seemed to be waning in comparison. McGonagall had stood to make more potent her words,

"He WILL make it into the Auror Training program if I have to tutor him myself!"

The already intense glares refocused with exponentially skyrocketing fierceness. Grudgingly, professor Umbridge huffed, turned around, and slammed the door behind her.

"So incredibly mature of her." said McGonagall dryly, once again taking her seat. "Now, where were we..."

* * *

Dinner that night was quite delicious, steak and potatoes, the ultimate dinner cliché, had never tasted so good, and it tasted all the better thanks to the fact that he had an infuriated professor glaring down at him as he ate, even more so that he had warm feelings inside that he and his side had won, and she, quite bitterly, had lost. 

"She did what?" breathed Nicki as he recounted the conversation concerning his Auror career to the Gryffindors after sipping a bit of pumpkin juice.

"Exactly as I just said." Harry said simply, smiling widely.

Nick, Nicki, Libra, and Ron all burst out in hysterical laughter. Even Hermione let out a hearty chuckle as she herself took a look at the overgrown toad. Harry could have sworn he heard Gabrielle snort a little of her own laughter as he looked upward where once more, Argus Filch was hammering away at a large sign in the wall.

Gradually, the laughing brigade turned their attentions to the enormous sickly gold frame holding a single, large piece of parchment.

"BY THE ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS  
All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.

_The above is in accordance with Education Decree Number Twenty-four _

_Signed by Dolores Jane Umbridge"  
_  
Libra turned to Harry, there was a plea for hope in her voice,

"You don't think that means Quidditch teams, do you?" her eyes welled up a little. Quidditch was one of the few things she could enjoy, apart from Nick and the D.A., and even the D.A. was now illegal, making their secret meetings even more necessary to be kept secret.

"It says _teams_ directly," sighed Ron, picking up a lump of potato on the end of his fork, "so I'd say so, yes."

Libra grunted as she glared at the now smirking Professor Umbridge at the staff table, then turned to face Harry, Ron, and Ginny in turn,

"McGonagall is going to have to _ask_to us to be able to reform our Quidditch team?" she sounded a little whiny, "That's ridiculous! After what happened earlier, there's no chance!"

Hermione took a deep breath and did a little sighing of her own. Hermione wasn't really one to care for Quidditch, but when it made three of her closest friends miserable at the thought that they would likely be unable to compete, she wisely took a compassionate tone,

"I think that's the idea." she dropped her fork on her plate, "It's her little retaliation against McGonagall and Harry, and probably even you, Pansy." she turned to look at Pansy, "She won't attack you two directly, because she knows she'd lose," Hermione looked directly into Harry's eyes, "but she can irritate the troublemakers with her little games of ministry law."

* * *

**A/N: Not very much new in this chapter. Hopefully we'll get some brand new material next chapter. Also, be sure to check out the forums using the link on my profile. There are several bits of valuable information there including:  
**_**  
Never Alone News  
**_**- Chapter List for the rest of Book 3  
- Chapter List name, and FFnet summary for Book 4  
**_**  
Things You Might Have Missed**_**  
- Libra didn't kill her father for a reason, she says?  
- Hermione's second addiction  
**_**  
Review Responses  
­**_**- Some of the best foreshadowing and background information can be found on the review responses posted on the forums, be sure to check them out!  
**_**  
The Plot Thickens  
**_**-Discuss the plot among the other readers of this series, what do you think will come of the changes and things unique to this series?**


	24. The Inquisitorial Squad

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four – The Inquisitorial Squad  
**

* * *

The following meetings of the Defense Association turned out to be equally as entertaining as the first. The next spell Harry prompted them to have a go at was the Patronus Charm. As he had done with the previous spells, Terry Boot made his opinion regarding the spell known, to which, as had occurred with the Stunning Jinx, Hannah Abbott reacted by stunning him immediately to silence him.

Other than Harry himself, Ginny Weasley was the first to successfully conjure her Patronus, a large, white stallion; Harry grinned at this, taking it to mean she had not forgotten his comment about finding her knight in shining armor.

Second to succeed was Libra Malfoy, who, like the Stunning Jinx, had succeeded without using her wand. Her Patronus, a brilliant lion raced around the Room of Requirement. Libra made sure it knocked Fred and George over as revenge for their playing with Nick previously.

Next, to everyone's shock and amazement, was Gabrielle Delacour. Her Patronus was a small ferret that raced merrily around her legs as she giggled and grinned.

"This is extremely easy," Harry pointed out, "When you haven't a Dementor to actually face. It is much harder when..."

"Oh, hush, you party pooper." joked Nicki Granger as her own Patronus, an owl, twittered happily from the end of her own wand.

Today's meeting had Harry quite happy. He was going to show everyone the basics of the ancient magic, teaching them the melting charm. He had already told Pansy, Hermione, and Ron this, and had enlisted their help in teaching it.

"This is really easy." said Libra, before Harry had even managed to speak, Libra had a fiery orb rested a few inches above her palm. She laughed a little as she shot it off in the Weasley twin's direction, greatly startling Fred, and earning a scowl from George.

Harry smiled,

"Well, seeing as not everyone in here can read minds, Libra, why don't you help us teach this lesson?"

Libra was more than happy to do so.

Toward the end of the meeting as everything settle down, Harry called everyone together and congratulated their progress. Nearly everyone had succeeded, and only a few, Dennis Creevy (which had poor Nicki in tears when she saw him hurt, though it was only minor burns) and Neville Longbottom, had hurt themselves at all.

"Now, I just want to say how proud I am of all of you. You've all learned incredibly quickly. I look forward to teaching you again after the holiday."

There were a few groans and grumbles over not meeting again till after the break, but it was only a matter a few minutes till nearly everyone, save the quartet and Libra and Nick Granger, had left.

"Harry," began Libra softly, walking up to him with enormous, innocent eyes. She was clearly getting ready to ask a favor of him, "I... don't want to go... home... his holiday, I was wondering if Nick and I could... visit you instead?"

Harry hugged Libra kindly and smiled,

"We've not yet made plans for our holiday, so we'll talk to you when we have, okay? I personally would love to have you over. You're incredibly bright, Libra. You could easily catch up to Pansy and I with just a little special training."

Libra beamed and left, Nick's hand in hers.

* * *

_The door... everything he wanted, everything he needed was behind that door... he could feel it. He needed it._

_All he had to do was get behind that door... open it..._

"Harry?" Pansy woke him, he bolted upward. Then calmed when he saw her, and kissed her. "Harry? Harry, are you okay?"

"Just a dream, hon, just a dream." He kissed her again and sunk back into the warmth of his covers, wrapping her tight in his arms as he once again slipped into slumber...

* * *

"Gryffindor leads 30 to 10, Cadwallader in possession of the Quaffle. He shoots and..." 

The Quaffle went right by Ron as he attempted to block it.

"HUFFLEPUFF SCORES! Gryffindor leads 30 to 20. Ginny Weasley in possession of the Quaffle, passes it to Libra Malfoy... have I mentioned how good a Chaser she is? Potter'd've been a damned fool not to've... oh, erm.. sorry professor... as I was saying.. she's quite good and... GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

Harry cheered a little inside as Lee Jordan announced the new score. Then died as he saw the worst possible combination of things happening at once. Ginny Weasley had just been thrown off her broom by a Bludger flying straight at Katie, but had been deflected by one of the Hufflepuff Beaters, and the Snitch was flying just above where she had just been. All this as Hufflepuff scored once again.

Hoping to goodness that Diggory didn't see the Snitch, Harry raced after Ginny, his broom gaining on her gloomy decent down to the cold, hard earth below.

"Oh, MERLIN! Ginny Weasley has been thrown off her broom!" Lee Jordan's voice was more panicked than it was loud. This was his friend's sister, after all. "Harry Potter the hero once again as he catches her... barely, mind you..."

Harry whipped his arms out underneath Ginny after casting a Slowing Charm on her. Catching her, amazingly gently, his arms under hers, Harry pulled her onto his broom as hers smashed violently, splinters flying in every direction, into the nearby stands.

"Ginny, hold on tight." he said as she positioned herself in front of him, wrapping her arms under his in a tight embrace as she held on for dear life as he shot upward in the direction of the Snitch.

"Libra Malfoy scores again, she's amazing, that witch! Gryffindor leads 50 to 30!

Throwing his hand out before him, he grabbed onto the Snitch before it darted away, earning a cheering from the Gryffindor part of the crowd where Pansy and Hermione sat in the stands.

"HARRY POTTER CATCHES THE SNITCH, GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

* * *

"All those wishing to join the Inqusitorial Squad for extra credit will report to my desk this week to sign up." Umbridge's voice came from a grotesque looking pink sign floating at the entrance to the Great Hall, a smiling picture of Dolores Umbridge on its rightmost side. 

Libra turned to look at Harry,

"Think we should get some double agents?"

The Aragons would make the perfect spies. He'd talk to Kimberly, Sarah, and Kent soon. But for now, he had some eating to do.

* * *

**A/N: I hope that was a moderately interesting chapter. As always, I love to see reviews, so don't be shy with that little button in the bottom-left corner of your screen!**


	25. The Woes of Mrs Weasley

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five – The Woes of Mrs. Weasley  
**

* * *

A few days later, Harry had the first reports back from his wonderful double agents, the Aragons. Kimberly in particular thought the idea brilliant and jumped for the job when offered. Kent and Sarah were also rather happy to oblige, knowing full-well it would earn them favor in the D.A. 

Kimberly spoke first,

"She suspects, but doesn't actually know anything just yet." she whispered, keeping a close eye for any people passing in the halls, especially Umbridge or any non-D.A. affiliated Inquisitorial Squad. Sarah continued for her twin,

"She plans to have regular patrols using the Inquisitorial Squad on top of the prefects already out."

Kent went on, uneasily eying the various passers-by,

"She's highly suspicious of you, your wife, Ronald Weasley and his,..."

Harry snorted quietly and corrected him,

"Ron's not married." All three of the Aragons raised an eyebrow,

"Fiancée, then?"

"Hermione's just his girlfriend." Harry said simply, earning a few winks and "ohs" from the group before him. Kent continued,

"Well, she suspects both of them as well, as well as several other of your sly Gryffindor pals." he took a deep breath and continued on, "Nikolas and Nicole Granger, siblings to Hermione, I presume?" Harry nodded. "A Gabrielle Delacour, she's the first year with the ferret Patronus, yes?"

"Mhmm." Harry said simply, looking at Kent suspiciously.

Kent chuckled softly and sighed,

"Ah, so cute of a first year to have a crush on Draco Malfoy."

"A what?" Harry choked, he couldn't have heard what he thought he just did...

"Nothing." said Kent waving his arm dismissively and carrying on, "She also suspects the Hufflepuff Hannah Abbott and the Ravenclaw Cho Chang. Also several other people that aren't actually part of the D.A."

"Okay, thank you all for reporting in." said Harry, shaking each of their hands, though Kimberly forced a hug, "This should help keep the D.A. secret and intact longer."

"Longer?" asked Kimberly sweetly as she pulled away from him to stand by her twin sister once again.

Kent snorted,

"Nothing lasts forever."

Sarah clearly did not believe her brother. She puffed up her chest and spoke firmly,

"That's not true."

Harry nodded,

"Love is eternal."

Kent and Kimberly simply smirked at him while Sarah looked at him curiously. She was, perhaps, a little less Slytherin than her siblings.

* * *

_The door... everything he wanted, everything he needed was behind that door... he could feel it. He needed it._

_All he had to do was get behind that door... open it..._

_Harry felt the world change around him, his surroundings much looked much the same, but he felt different..._

_He could smell meat... fresh meet..._

_Moving along the cold floor of the building, he smelled his way to his prey... the deliciousness that was Mr. Weasley..._

"HARRY!" screeched Pansy, shaking him awake. "Harry, what's wrong? Harry?"

The dream flooded her thoughts, her once firm hold on Harry's shoulders shook fearfully. Tugging on Harry's shoulder, she got dressed as quickly as she could under the circumstances and ushered him to do the same,

"We're going to Dumbledore."_  
_

* * *

"Mr. Weasley, you say?" asked Dumbledore after Harry had finished relaying his dream. Dumbledore turned to a portrait, "I'm going to need you to visit your portrait at the Ministry and check on the condition of Arthur Weasley." 

The portrait nodded and its occupant vanished, only to reappear a moment later, whispering something to Dumbledore. Dumbledore walked to his Phoenix, Fawkes, who nearly immediately vanished in a puff of fire and smoke.

"Phineas!" shouted Dumbledore to a portrait that appear to be sleeping. "PHINEAS!"

The portrait snorted and opened a single eye to the headmaster,

"I was sleeping!" he grumbled, "Can't you.."

"No." said Dumbledore firmly, "I need you to go to your portrait at Grimmauld Place and tell Mrs. Weasley that her husband is gravely injured and that her children and a few others will be arriving shortly."

Phineas snorted and vanished from his portrait as professor Snape walked through the headmaster's door,

"You called, sir?" Snape had clearly dressed himself in a hurry, his hair was rather messier than usual, he had likely been asleep, but otherwise he looked tolerably.

"Severus, I need you to help with something," Dumbledore began, walking toward the potions professor and decreasing his volume gradually, "Several students are going to magically vanish tonight and you need to help do your best to convince Professor Umbridge that they've simply gone home a little early and will be back after the holiday."

Snape looked rather annoyed,

"And what can _I_ do about that?" he gruted.

"Feed her what we want her to hear. She trusts your house the most, most of her Inquisitorial Squad is comprised of people from your house, so receiving information from a few of her Squad would help in that regard."

Harry wanted to blurt that he had spies of his own that could have fulfilled this task, but, as the Defense Association was supposed to be secret even from the likes of Dumbledore, he kept quiet.

Hermione and Ron came through the door with Professor McGonagall as Snape left,

"What's going on?" said Hermione sleepily. McGonagall looked a little mad.

"They were sleeping together!" hissed McGonagall, her voice full of outrage. Dumbledore simply chuckled softly and smiled.

"I assumed as much since last year." he waved his hand into the air, "It was bound to happen."

"It's against school rules!" growled McGonagall, disgusted at the way her superior was handling the situation.

"Yes, well, they're going to be married soon enough, so what does it matter, they're engaged anyways."

"We're actually not, sir." Hermione said in a small voice. Dumbledore shook his head and smiled,

"Well, they'll be soon enough. Doesn't matter Minerva, hasn't caused us any problems. Now, as for Ms. Granger's question, Arthur Weasley has been attacked. He's likely at St. Mungo's hospital by now. You four and a few others, will be staying at Grimmauld Place till after the holiday."

Hermione nodded curtly and took a seat.

"Harry, I need you to gather a few people for me and bring them here using your Blinking ability." he then sounded off a list of names, every one of which belonged to the D.A., "Gabrielle Delacour, Nikolas Granger, Nicole Granger, Libra Malfoy, and Ginny Weasley. And also Fred and George Weasley."

Harry immediately Blinked into the Gryffindor female dorms. Opening the door for the first years, Harry stepped quietly to the bed of Gabrielle Delacour, gently shook her awake, ushered her to get a night robe on and hold onto his hand.

And so he took her to Dumbledore's office, when she let go, he vanished again.

"Nicki?" Harry shook Nicki Granger gently as he had done for Gabby, and ushered her to get dressed.

Harry took a slightly different approach with Libra, kissing her forehead gently, she stirred softly and jumped.

"Harry?"

"Shh." he whispered, "Get dressed. Dumbledore'll explain in a moment."

Libra looked at him apprehensively, but stood and dressed herself in a dark red robe. Taking her hand gently as he walked her to Nicki, he took hold of Nicki's shoulder and did the same with them, returning to the dorms each time picking up the remainder of the people he need to acquire, doing Ginny last.

"What exactly is going on here?" asked Ginny as she landed in Dumbledore's office.

"Your father has been attacked." Dumbledore said at once, not bothering to soften the impact of the words. Ginny and Libra gasped.

"Mr. Weasley was attacked?" Libra breathed, covering her mouth.

Nick just raised an eyebrow,

"What does that have to do with me... or Libra... or Nicki... or Gabby?"

"Your sister, Hermione intends to go away to see him and the excuse we have covering for them unfortunately would include you two as well."

"So.. what about Libra and Gabrielle?"

"Professor Umbridge knows that Libra would not go to her home for the holidays and, as such, would likely go wherever you go, catching her in the chain as well."

"Professor Umbridge?" Nick looked a little confused.

"Yes, the High Inquisitor will prove quite troublesome even with this cover-up."

"That still doesn't explain why Gabrielle's going."

"There are a number of reasons why Ms. Delacour must go with you, but I'm afraid that I will have to keep them quiet for now."

Libra, Pansy, Harry, Hermione, and Ron all looked at Dumbledore and each of them considered digging into his thoughts for an answer.

None of them succeeded.

"You will take this portkey to Grimmauld Place where you will stay till the end of the break." he held up one of the artifacts on his desk and muttered "_Portus_". Waving each person to take hold of a part of the small object...

* * *

**A/N: Okay.. so that was a really hard chapter to write... I hope it came out decently. I've recently released several oneshots that could use some reviews, so for all you wonderful reviewing people out there, I'd love to see reviews for my oneshots, thanks! -TML**


	26. Boggarts and Bothers

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six – Boggarts and Bothers  
**

* * *

They were all met, not with the face of Molly Weasley, but with that of Sirius Black. He stood, occasionally offering a hand to those who'd fallen over from use of the Portkey, then spoke, 

"Molly will be back soon, she's already at St. Mungo's with Arthur, she told me to meet you all when you arrived and tell you that you won't be able to see him right away..."

"Won't be able to see him right away, then why'd we come here?"

"If you just turned up at St. Mungo's when you're all supposed to be at school, it'd cause a huge mess!"

Varying cries of outrage filled the many ears of the people standing around an increasingly irritated and frustrated Sirius Black. Feeling sorry for Libra for having to spend the holidays with this mess, Harry pulled her to the side, off in a small room where the decor seemed particularly plain.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this." he said at once, hoping Libra wouldn't jump on him. She did not, however, look at all angry, instead she pulled Harry into a hug,

"Harry you could tie me to a bed and feed me stale bread all winter and it would be better than at home. Thank you for remembering me." she kissed his cheek and smiled at him. Harry pulled her closer and whispered,

"I couldn't forget you, Libra." he smiled, "You're like a daughter to me." The words almost knocked Harry unconscious. He'd said them, and meant them. The warmth inside that now enveloped him was a deep, fatherly care for the girl in his arms.

"Does this mean I get to call you daddy?" Libra joked in a brilliant impression of a three-year-old girl, smirking at Harry as she looked up at him. Harry followed along with the joke,

"Hmm, sure. Just not around Pansy, okay?" he chuckled, "There's no telling what she'd do to me if she knew I had a daughter." Harry kissed Libra's forehead and continued, "Now, since you're going to be here for the holidays, I look forward to doing something a little special for you whilst you're here."

* * *

If staying in Grimmauld Place instead of some warm and cozy place wasn't bad enough, the house still needed cleaning badly in several rooms. Nick looked rather upset by the idea to clean out an old set of drawers in a guest bedroom, but silenced his whining when Libra glared at him. 

The chest of drawers shook and rattled, Mrs. Weasley had told them quite plainly that she thought it was a Boggart and had wandered off, annoyed, into a neighboring room while Sirius insisted they remove it.

"Well, someone open it." huffed Nick as he eyed Libra in slight annoyance.

Harry could tell Pansy, too, was getting slightly annoyed, and when she waved her hand out to open the drawer, the drawer flew out and landed with a crash near Pansy.

Inside the drawer lay Harry, dead.

Pansy screamed.

"It's just a Boggart." Harry reassured her stepping in front of her to shield her from the Boggart, as he did so, the Boggart shifted to Pansy's lifeless form, nearly succeeding in drawing its own scream from Harry.

"_Riddikulus_." said Harry feebly, pointing his hand at the form of his dead wife. Instantly, the body turned into that of Draco Malfoy, dressed in woman's clothing and dancing to an obscure techno beat. This exhibited screams from two of the girls, Libra and Gabrielle both.

Libra instantly shrunk into Nick and Gabby looked somewhere between disgusted and flustered, taking in the Boggart Draco's form with every beam of light that touched her eyes.

Nicole stepped forward, raising her wand at the Dancing Slytherin and stood still and wide-eyed as it morphed into two separate bodies, the first that of her brother, Nick, and the second of his girlfriend, Libra.

There was no distortion nor flaw in either of their figures. The two were simply kissing, incredibly passionately. Harry could see pain in Nicki's eyes, but he didn't quite understand it.

"_Riddikulus._" she squeaked and the Boggart Libra instantly turned into Nicki. Several in the surrounding audience gagged as the Boggart twins drained the passion from one another through the intensely heated kiss, but Nicki burst out in an uncontrollable fit of giggles. As she did so, there was a small 'pop' and the Boggart had gone.

"Would you like to explain that?" asked Nick to Nicki as Libra and Gabrielle stared at the twin girl with slightly disturbed looks.

"Not really." said Nicki, giggling again as she caught sight of the looks on their faces. "But it was really funny."

No one bothered to argue with her as Sirius pulled the other drawers out manually, occasionally stopping to take an extended glance at an artifact or two as he cast it aside in one of two piles.

"So..." said Pansy, trying to shift the mood from the awkward one Nicki's spell had created, Pansy noticed a large tapestry on the wall hanging behind the chest of drawers he now emptied, "Is that your family tree, there?"

Sirius smiled weakly, fussing ever-so-slightly with a clasp on a large golden locket for a moment before actually turning to look at it,

"Hmm, yes." he stood and pointed to a burn mark, "That's me, see? She burned it away when I ran away from home. I didn't like it here, I hated the whole lot of them." he sighed, "I really hated it here, I never thought I'd be back, stuck here again." he rubbed his hand along the tapestry, the memories of his childhood pouring through him like a bad dream, he pointed to another "My brother, Regulus, they were so _proud_ of him, my mother especially, especially when he joined the Death Eaters."

"Where is he now?"

"Dead. He got his just desserts when he was killed."

"By Lord Voldemort?"

"Oh, no. I doubt very much he was handled by Voldemort himself, he wouldn't have been important enough."

Pansy leaned over, squinting her eyes slightly as she read a name from the tapestry and covered her mouth to supress a gasp,

"You're related to the Malfoys?" she said breathlessly, pointing to the name Narcissa Black, linked with intricate golden embroidered vines to the name Lucius Malfoy.

"Not by choice, believe me." Sirius sad dryly. Libra didn't react but to look at Sirius and glare.

Sirius turned to Libra, but rather than apologize he simply stated,

"To me, you're a Granger."

Harry'd never seen her, nor anyone else for that matter, blush so brightly.

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully a bit of interesting stuff happening in this chapter.**

**Just a note: Nicki is NOT in love with her brother. Her Boggart was her twin brother with Libra because she's afraid of losing him. Her**_** Riddikulus**_** transformed Libra into her because she finds the thought of kissing her brother laughable. She's got a slightly twisted sense of humour. She and Kimberly Aragon would get along nicely.**


	27. Christmastime at St Mungo's

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven – Christmastime at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries  
**

* * *

Harry had officially decided there couldn't have been a less orthodox way to enter a hospital. Rather than casually walk up to a sparkling clean door and wait as the doors opened for you and step inside a building that smelled heavily of Lysol, Harry was standing face to face with an old, run-down building with sickly red bricks surrounding a single, slightly graffitied glass door with an dusty window on the side. Pansy crinkled her nose disgustedly as she, like Harry knew too well, had likely seen very little like this or had to deal little like this during her childhood in the ever pristine space that was Parkinson Manor.  
_  
Oumph.  
_  
Potter Manor,_ my bad.  
_  
So, anyways, here was the future savior of the entirety of the wizarding world walking face first into a plate of glass. 

Voluntarily.

Or at least that's what he told himself.

His wife, the beautiful Pansy Potter... _(She's really not all that great looking... unless you squint really, really hard and tilt your head to the side like this... OUMPH... Okay, okay!_) The most beautiful, delectable, angel of a woman in the world, the wife of the famous Harry Potter, that's that savior of the world guy, in case you were wondering... walked in behind him, followed by a whole host of various others. A rather attractive blonde with icy blue eyes accompanied by a brown-haired boy with equally brown eyes, what most people would swear was a red-headed woman and her flock of offspring, a small girl that young though she was could have any man she wanted at any time she pleased, and the list really does go on and on for like three more people... but, they're not going to be important enough for this paragraph to get included in my narration.

So, as we have it this enormous group of peoples had just walked straight through a pane of glass. And to make it all the weirder, not only did the glass not break, they all disappeared!

To the other side, where, quite unlike the outside would allow one to believe, was a very, very, very, very... (add a few more in if you like them) clean, quite hospital-looking place, the heavy smell of the aforementioned Lysol, however, still seemed to be too proud to grace our heroes with its presence. Not that it really matters, after a while it really does make one sick...  
_  
Due to the insanity of the previous narrator, a new one was hired, and now we shall continue our wonderful story with proper narration.  
_  
The perfectly white walls of the hospital, named St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, were, indeed, quite clean. After Mrs. Weasley spoke in hushed tones to a woman at the desk, she ushered her accompaniment to follow her into an elevator, where, after raising a few floors, they got off and came face to face with a door reading "Arthur Weasley – Magical Creature Injury".

"Now, you kids just wait outside, I need to speak with him for just a moment."

After a few grunts and groans, Ginny and Fred slumped up against the now not-as-clean walls while they listened to their mother whisper shouts at their father,

"Stitches?" she chided, "That sounds like they were going to sew you back together, Arthur!"

"Yes, well it works quite well on Muggle wounds."

"Yes, dear, but this is quite clearly _not_ a Muggle wound._"_ she sighed and left her husbands side to usher everyone else inside.

Harry and the Weasleys were quite elated to see Arthur Weasley living, awake, on his bed at the hospital. Harry half-expected him to be a mangled lump, but instead just had a few awkwardly placed bandages.

"Mr. Weasley," Harry breathed, "You're okay."

Mr. Weasley smiled and turned to Harry,

"Yes, dear boy, thanks to you I was saved before I lost too much blood. Without you, I'd be dead."

A few of the red-heads cast their eyes toward Harry, looks of slight confusion combined with looks of gratitude.

Harry noticed the Granger twins, Libra, and Gabby were a little uncomfortable being present as they hardly knew the man, but each wore a grimace to mask their true feelings.

* * *

Mrs. Weasley had the heartwarming suggestion that the gift exchange take place at the hospital as Arthur was in no condition to be moved any time soon and the senior healer (the more competent one, as she had repeated several times) was away for vacation with his family. 

Harry, as it happens, had been expecting something quite like this and had prepared for it. Having shopped for each person present, he glowed a little inside. Handing each person a package, however poorly wrapped it may have been, he allowed himself to rest on the wall beside his wife and kiss her has she opened her gift.

She inhaled sharply as she took sight of a marvelous bracelet with matching earrings. She really liked the jewelry, Harry knew, but he also knew that it was too easy to settle for just that. Conjuring flowers using the ancient magic he'd learned from Hermione's gift to him last year, Harry handed a large bunch to her and kissed her passionately, to which she responded enthusiastically. Neither of them saw the smiles from _everyone_ else in the room that remained present until the couple broke apart to observe everyone else.

Harry had really thought hard about each of the gifts he'd given, but was most proud of his gift to Libra. Installing the beginnings of fulfilling his promise to Libra, Harry had given Libra a duplicate of _Lezmagicosancia_, the thick tome from which the quartet had learned their ancient magical abilities. Libra was ecstatic.

* * *

Leaving the sweltering room and intense family love of Arthur Weasley's hospital room, Harry and Pansy walked in each other's arms down the corridors, not really searching for anything in particular, but taking in the surroundings as they shared their feelings for each other once again, Libra and Nick behind them, doing much the same, Ron and Hermione also managing to weasel their way out of the room for a much needed break. 

All those faces were familiar to Harry, as was the one he quite nearly ran into.

"Neville?"

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so that chapter started out a little weird... I think I had a fit of insanity... hopefully it was tolerable... I shall attempt to hold onto my sanity as I write the remainder of this series!**

**As always, can't wait to hear from you all, please review!**


	28. No More Gum Wrappers

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight – No More Gum Wrappers  
**

* * *

_"Neville?"_

Of all the people Harry'd expected to run into here, Neville was perhaps lowest on the list after Voldemort himself, until Harry remembered a memory formed inside Dumbledore's Pensieve.

_"...__I know for fact this person took part in the capture, and, by means of the Cruciatus Curse, torture of the Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom."_  
_  
_"Neville?" asked Libra softly, "What brings you here?"

Reluctantly, Neville rose his eyes to face the blonde Malfoy girl before him and spoke, softly, in a slightly broken voice,

"My... my parents."

Instantly, mental conversation went all abuzz. Hermione and Libra were instantly pressing Harry for answers. Diverting Hermione to Pansy, Harry spoke mentally to Libra,

"His parents were tortured trying to defeat Voldemort during the last war. I didn't know they were still alive. I can't imagine they're in too great a condition."

Libra grimaced at Harry,

"Do you think there's anything we can do?"

"I very much doubt it, but I suppose we should at least go visit them."

"Mind if we join you?" Libra asked aloud, startling Nick and Hermione. Neville shook his head in the negative and motioned them to follow. He spoke in slightly hushed tones as he led them to his parent's room,

"Fourteen years ago, a Death Eater named Bellatrix Lestrange tortured my parents for information." Neville grimaced as he turned a corner, "They never gave in. I'm quite proud to be their son, but I can't help but... miss them... even though it was so long ago."

"Miss them, they aren't..."

"No... not physically." Neville sighed, "But they'll never be whole again."

As he said those words, he opened a door where a tall woman stood, her eyes curiously darting over to Neville. She smiled and stood, walking a few steps toward Neville, handing him what uncannily looked like a gum wrapper.

"They don't remember anything, really." Neville sighed, "But I suppose that's for the best. What she did to them, broke them."

Libra took a step forward, meeting the eyes of the gum-wrapper woman. Mrs. Longbottom tilted her head in confusion.

"Alice?" said Libra softly, earning a blink from the woman in front of her. Her voice continued, though not aloud, in Harry's thoughts, "Harry, I have an idea."

Harry stepped forward beside Libra, Mrs. Longbottom turned her distracted eyes toward him, as he and Libra both entered her mind.

The room erupted in screams as Libra, Harry, and Mrs. Longbottom all felt the pains of the torture from Bellatrix Lestrange, forcing himself away from those thoughts, Harry prodded her mind for memories of Neville, of happiness, and he could feel Libra doing the same.

The mental connection snapped as Mrs. Longbottom fell in a heap on the floor. Hermione and Neville erupted in shouting immediately,

"What'd you do to her?" they screeched in unison. Rather than respond, Libra waved her hand over the unconscious woman and muttered, "Ennervate."

The woman opened and batted her eyes, raising herself to her feet slowly as she brushed herself off,

"What... where am I... what am I doing here?"

"Mom?" Neville breathed, Mrs. Longbottom gasped, holding her hand to her mouth in shock,

"Neville?"

* * *

Using a similar technique to restore Mr. Longbottom caused most of the healers on the floor to come racing toward the room, stopped only by a Air Suppression Shield Pansy threw up at the last second. 

The healers had been immensely shocked to discover their patients, once mentally lost and thought to be forever gone, as back to normal as they could be, Neville sitting on the edge of his mother's bed, thanking Harry and Libra and catching his parents up on all that had occurred in the last fourteen years.

Allowing them time alone, Harry, Pansy, Libra, Nick, Ron, and Hermione left, returning to Grimmauld Place before supper.

Harry observed as Libra tucked a lock of golden hair behind her ear. She was deeply immersed in the thick book Harry recognized as _Lezmagicosancia_. Smiling he sat down beside her and spoke softly,

"So," he began, "How much have you learned?"

Libra slowly closed the book, sliding a piece of parchment in its pages as she set it off to the side and held out her left hand, allowing a fiery orb to appear there,

"That, obviously." she said a little flatly, "But we learned the Melting Charm in the D.A." she flicked her thumb slightly and the fiery orb went a deep blue, flames becoming wisps of icy chill, "The Freezing Charm was easy, but my favorite.." the Freezing Charm above her palm vanished, as did she, "is this one." her voice came from behind Harry.

Turning around to face her as she walked back to her seat he spoke,

"I see you've learned to Blink."

She nodded, plopping down unceremoniously beside him,

"Yes. This magic is _really_ easy to use." she paused for a second, allowing her face to take an expression that to Harry screamed Luna Lovegood, "I've noticed though, that It's much easier to use when I'm feeling emotional, like when I'm feeling anger toward my biological family or love for Nick.."

Waving her hand in the air, Libra silently cast a spell Harry failed to recognize, in front of him glittered a foggy image of Libra and Nick together, hugging and kissing,

"Love _especially_ makes it easier."

* * *

In a neighboring Room, Pansy Potter had gotten the idea to speak to Gabrielle Delacour about her ferret fetish. 

"So," she began awkwardly, not really knowing where to begin, "Rumour has it you fancy Draco Malfoy."

Gabrielle muttered something incoherent, then cleared her throat and spoke more loudly,

"I do not."

Pansy smirked and nodded disbelievingly,

"And your Patronus just happens to be a ferret... and the rumours are flying because...?" Pansy knew her thoughts had become a little disjointed as she spoke aloud, but they still had the desired effect,

"I used to 'ave a ferret as a pet," she sniffed slightly, "Eet was my favourite." she sniffed again, "Eet died two years ago."

Pansy wasn't wholly convinced, but rather than prod further about something that was clearly upsetting her, she asked another question,

"And... if I were to look into your mind right now, what would I see?"

Gabby gulped.

"Er..."

"That's what I thought."

* * *

**A/N: Little fragments of interesting things in this chapter. Hopefully it was decent enough to be readable. As always, I love to see reviews & posts on the forums! I know that Fibinaci and Alice in Fugunderland can't be the only ones to have seen them...**


	29. Diggorying into the Problem

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-nine – Diggorying into the Problem  
**

* * *

_"And... if I were to look into your mind right now, what would I see?"_

_Gabby gulped._

_"Er..."_

_"That's what I thought."_

"So... how 'bout it Gabby?" Pansy smirked, staring at the silvery blonde hair of the girl in front of her.

"I am not lying!" whined Gabby, nervously pulling on a strand of hair, "Don't hurt me, please!"

Gabrielle was afraid. Pansy took a step back and looked at her curiously,

"That was never my intention, I just need you to know what a ball of slime he is." Pansy crinkled her nose as she thought about the Slytherin Prince, "He'll use you then abuse you. You deserve better than him."

Gabrielle growled a little, coming from her, it was cute rather than intimidating,

"I told you I do not like him." she sighed, "I love Nick."

Pansy pursed her lips together in contemplation. She remembered the days surrounding her wedding when Gabrielle had fallen for and tried to win over Nick Granger, but she had assumed that Gabrielle had given up on him.

"Okay..." Pansy began, thinking out loud, "So your Patronus is a ferret because you lost your pet two years ago... that doesn't explain to me why you were so busy eying the Boggart Draco."

Gabrielle mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that?"

"I said 'e scares the shit out of me." she mumbled still, but this time it was understandable.

Pansy snorted at the words coming from Gabby's mouth. She hadn't been one to swear. Pansy plopped down beside the silvery-blonde and talked with her till supper time called.

* * *

"Oh, be careful!" squeaked Mrs. Weasley as Libra shot off a Stunning Jinx that narrowly missed a lamp. "You'll break that lamp." 

Sirius joined in,

"Actually, smash that lamp. It was my mother's favourite." Ron and Nick chuckled. Mrs. Weasley gave a disapproving scowl.

Harry vanished. Something Mrs. Weasley still had not gotten used to. When Libra vanished immediately after he did, she let out a rather loud squeak of shock. Sirius assumed it must have been a natural motherly reaction to seeing _'your children'_ vanish right before your eyes.

Harry and Libra reappeared. Harry just where Libra had been the moment before, Libra just a foot back from where Harry now faced away from. Libra immediately shot off a Stunning Jinx, nailing Harry in the back at close range.

Tauntingly as Pansy had been known to do, Libra walked around her defeated opposition and smiled. Throwing herself on Harry, wrapping her legs around his waist for support, she brought herself up to his eye level, kissed his forehead and unstunned him as he fell backward onto an empty seat on the couch.

Harry grunted as his back smashed into the cushions, but allowed himself to kiss Libra's forehead.

"You're lucky you're light," Harry whined playfully, "you could have broken me."

"Well, Daddy, you're just getting to be an old man." she teased, pulling on his cheek affectionately.

"Old man?" he whined, "I'm fifteen! I'm only three years older than you are!"

She chuckled and got up off of him, sauntering over to Nick and taking his hand.

"First duel against you and I cream you, you really need to close your mind." she motioned some hand gestures to intensify her point.

"Funny you should say that," said a voice from the door, "Dumbledore was just saying the same thing." Snape smirked evilly, "In fact he has given me the displeasure of giving you extra lessons once a week for Occlumency to do just that."

Libra glared at her potion's master,

"I've been teaching him some already." she said proudly.

Snape laughed a demented laugh, turned, and left.

* * *

They hadn't even been back at Hogwarts a week when Umbridge had loosed her reign of terror upon the campus once again. In the middle of the Great Hall stood nearly half the campus, watching as Umbridge, two ministry wizards at her side, belittled another professor who was sitting on the floor crying, her bags and trunk at her side. 

"You can't do this to me. Hogwarts is my home." the voice of the person crying was unrecognizable as it was too heavily distorted by crying, pushing through the audience, Harry and Pansy made their way to the front to observe Sybill Trelawney, her glasses crooked and clouded with tears, begging for mercy, "Sixteen years I've been here... sixteen... years... of loyal service... to this school and... to its students... you can't sack me!" she continued to bawl, "Hogwarts is my home!"

"I'm sorry, dear. You're quite incapable of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realized that your pitiful performance during my inspections..."

Pansy took a step forward and offered Professor Trelawney a hand. Pansy glowered a poisonous glare at the toad as Trelawney wobbly stood on her feet.

"Professor Trelawney is quite capable of making predictions, Professor Umbridge. She predicted Harry and I's marriage before either of us recognized our attraction was mutual. She predicted..."

"That is quite enough, young lady, I shall see to it that you are.."

Pansy punched Professor Umbridge in the face, her fist landed with a loud crack as the Toad's nose shifted leftward when it broke. The two Ministry wizards at her side stood in shock and bewilderment.

"Well, do something!" screeched Umbridge as she held her nose to prevent bleeding, the two wizards at her side took a look at Pansy and raised their wands.

"Don't even." growled Pansy as Dumbledore walked up behind them.

"This... this..." started Umbridge, her eyes filled with rage, "She hit me!"

One of the Ministry wizards beside her laughed,

"You do realize how childish that sounds, Dolores?"

"Silence, Shacklebolt." she huffed, "I didn't see you stopping her."

Dumbledore motioned Pansy to take Trelawney back to her room as he levitated the Diviner's things to follow them,

"Now, you may have the power to fire my teachers. You do not, however, have the power to banish them from the grounds, that authority rests with the headmaster."

"SHE HIT ME!" squawked Umbridge, pointing to Pansy leading the Divination professor up the stairs as Harry, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil followed behind. Dumbledore took his wand out and pointed at her nose, he muttered,

"_Episkey._" and walked away shouting, "Get back to your classes, all of you."

* * *

That night was another D.A. meeting, several of the members had been quite excited with Pansy's breaking of Umbridge's nose, but quickly settled down as the night's spell to be learned was revealed. 

Tonight they would be learning the basics of Blinking. Libra, having already learned, helped teach the lesson as she had done with the Melting Charm, and was having a great deal of fun teasing the Weasley twins when they failed to Blink repeatedly.

After a couple of minor successes, Ginny Weasley managing to Blink straight into a wall and Gabrielle Delacour Blinking upside down on a large mat, the meeting was called and those attending were allowed to leave.

As Harry grabbed the books to carry with him back to his common room, Cedric Diggory approached him with a slightly worried look on his face,

"Harry?"

Harry hmmed in response,

"Firstly I'd like to thank you for doing this, it's going to help tremendously when it comes to my NEWTs, but I should tell you, I'm not sure everyone here is loyal to the Defense Association. The Aragons are all part of the Inquisitorial Squad and..."

"I'm quite aware of their affiliation." said Harry plainly, "They're part of the organization to bring feedback to us to make sure we've not been discovered and to help us keep informed on what they're up to."

"What about Cho Chang and Terry boot?" Cedric asked looking into Harry's eyes with a nervous stare.

"What about them?" Harry said dryly as he threw his bag over his shoulder and made for the door.

"They didn't come to the meeting today and I'm quite certain that Boot is feeding Umbridge information."

Hermione walked up behind them and spoke softly,

"If he were, we would know."

"What do you mean?" asked Cedric, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Let's just put it this way," Hermione explained, "they'd make Eloise Midgen's acne look like cute freckles."

"That's..." Cedric breathed, Pansy finished his statement for him with words that he certainly would not have chosen himself.

"Completely fair."

* * *

**A/N: Hope that was a moderately interesting chapter. As always, I love to see reviews and posts on the "Never Alone" forums!**


	30. The Centaur and the Sneak

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty – The Centaur and the Sneak  
**

* * *

The following day found Pansy and Harry sitting side-by-side in a previously unused classroom on the first floor. Their Divination teacher, Professor Trelawney, had, in fact, been fired by Professor Umbridge, and as per ministry law by way of the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, there was nothing the Headmaster could do about it.

Harry found their new teacher most peculiar. He'd met him before, of course, once about four years ago in the Forbidden Forest, but had not seen him since.

He was a male Centaur that went by the name of Firenze. His figure, considered handsome by any with eyes, was now slightly marred and scratched, as if he'd been attacked. All the same, he stood before his class and introduced himself, all while Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown sunk in obvious infatuation, torn between two loyalties to divination teachers.

Rather than listen to the instruction, as was custom in Divination, Harry and Pansy had a mental conversation.

"So, when are we going to adopt her?" Pansy asked, chuckling invading Harry's thoughts.

"Who?" inquired Harry, "Libra?"

"Mhmm"

The teacher walked around his desk and scribbled something on the board, then proceeded to mock the competence of human seers.

"I'dn't thought of that."

"Well, she already calls you daddy." Pansy laughed aloud, stifling herself just enough to prevent being heard by Firenze but not quite enough not to earn looks from those surrounding her.

"True, but..." Harry wandered off as his mental voice got a little shaky, "Adopting her would mean we have to talk to the Malfoys."

Pansy sighed audibly,

"Yes, I guess we'll just have to kidnap her." she smirked, "You think she'd mind?"

"Not at all."

The face of their teacher was now a mere inch from their own,

"When you two are done having your little chat, feel free to pay attention."

* * *

In yet another D.A. meeting later that week (They were quite lucky that the Quidditch Team practices had worked out quite so right), the group had continued practicing use of their Blinking abilities.

Ginny was becoming quite good and had managed several times now to Blink across the room without landing face-first into the wall. Gabrielle could now land right-side up and even within a few feet of her target, and both of the Granger twins were able to move themselves from here to there with a simple thought. Mostly though, save for the aforementioned and a few people, namely Hannah Abbott and Luna Lovegood, people were struggling. About all Neville had managed to do in his many attempts was release a sickly blue gas Harry worried had little to actually do with the Blinking spell.

Pansy had been looking uneasy the whole meeting, she'd tried to drown herself in training and assisting, but finally, she couldn't help herself anymore and spoke both worriedly and mentally to Harry,

"You notice the group is rather small today? I don't see the Aragons, and I'm sure Blaise is missing. And Cho and Boot are absent again... and so is Cedric. Harry, do you think they've been caught?"

"I hope not." was his only reply as the door to the Room of Requirement shot open. At first Harry was delighted to see the faces of Cho, Cedric, and Terry.. then was quite disturbed to meet two faces of each.

Two Cedrics.

Tolerable. But still...

Two Terrys.

He'd need to get himself a second Hannah.

Two Chos.

Merlin, no.

The faces that appeared next were even more disturbing that the wands pointed at the duplicates by their own selves... Goyle holding his wand to Kent Aragon's throat, Crabbe, with his stick to Sarah's... and Draco... his wand pressed loosely against Kimberly's throat as his free hand toyed with things a little lower...

Pansy turned to Gabby with a smirk,

"See. Just like I told you. He uses you, then abuses you."

Gabby just stared back at her, her eyes narrowing as her gaze turned slowly to the toad walking in through the door.

Professor Umbridge.

"Well, well. Caught in the act."

Harry wanted, inside, to run, but both his own voice in his head, as well as Libra's and Hermione's and even Ron's told him not to. If they didn't stay and appease, he knew the Aragons and the true Cho, Cedric, and Terry would be doomed.

The Cho brandishing her wand at... Cho's neck slowly started to shift. Short black hair shifted to long blonde... slightly thick legs shot up to be long and thin. The smirk on that Cho's face became the smirk on that of Daphne Greengrass'.

Next, the aggressive Terry Boot shifted before them, taking the form of Theodore Nott. Then, after the second that seemed like forever, the second Diggory morphed before their eyes, revealing their traitor.

On his forehead, marked deep with bright red boils and acne thick as smoke was the word "SNEAK".

Ginny breathed a poisonous growl,

"Blaise."

* * *

**A/N: That actually turned out a little different than I originally scripted it. But I think I like this version better than the draft. Hope you did, too! Hope to see you in reviews and on the "Never Alone" forums!**


	31. Dumbledore's Grand Escape

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-one – Dumbledore's Grand Escape  
**

* * *

_Ginny breathed a poisonous growl,_

_"Blaise."_

"In the flesh, love." he said simply, turning to her and smiling. Ginny looked absolutely outraged, betrayed, and, most of all, pissed.

"You." she breathed, glowering at him in a most Mrs. Weasley like fashion. Blaise didn't falter.

"You see the wonderful thing about the Polyjuice potion." said Daphne, holding up an empty vial in her had, "Is that it allows you to get information out of people that wouldn't _normally_ trust you."

Blaise continued for her,

"You see, when I came in disguised as Mr. Diggory," he scratched his wand on Cedric's throat viciously for added effect, "I knew I could get what information I wanted out of you." he laughed dryly, "But you see, I already had what I needed, I'd been playing the part of loyal club member the whole time! But, of course, being a Slytherin, I knew I didn't have your trust..."

Pansy interrupted him,

"Oh, yeah. He doesn't trust his Slytherin wife at all. Nor does he trust his three Slytherin spies."

Blaise nodded curtly, then grinned,

"Yes, yes." his grin turned into a smirk as Ginny picked up a small piece of parchment from the ground, "Your spies."

"Quite clever of you, Libra's idea if I'm not mistaken?" Harry gave a quick nod. "Yes, your spies sent to feed you what we wanted you to hear. We suspected them from the moment they joined our ranks, you see, Potter, you weren't the only one with double agents. We knew that you were up to something, I recognized them immediately as members and prepared to tell..."

Ginny vanished.

"Now, where were we?" He turned to Umbridge and motioned with his head toward the members of the D.A.

"We're going to see the Headmaster about this little group of yours." she whipped her wand in the direction of the door and motioned them out.

Walking to the Headmaster's office felt somewhat like a death walk. Knowing only that they knew they'd been caught and would likely face dire consequences for wanting to actually learn how to defend themselves, Harry and Pansy gently reassured one another of their situation, that everything would work out and that Dumbledore would smooth things out.

Stepping past the Headmaster's door, he was instantly greeted by the faces of the man he knew from Pansy's encounter as "Shacklebolt", another man he did not know, the Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge, as well as a red-headed girl with a small piece of parchment in her hand.

Ginny handed the paper to Umbridge who looked wide-eyed and angry,

"Dumbledore's Army?" Fudge mumbled slightly, then looked up at Dumbledore with fury, "You..."

Umbridge spoke in a crackly voice, her natural voice, Harry assumed, she pointed her enormous sausage of a finger in Harry's direction,

"He will have to be expelled at once! He..."

"Now, you see the parchment says quite clearly, 'Dumbledore's Army', not Potter's. I instructed Harry to start this little club in the hopes of gathering more members."

Blaise looked at Dumbledore suspiciously. Harry did, too. The parchment had never read 'Dumbledore's Army'. It had been D.A., sure, but it had always been 'Defense Association'. Perhaps Ginny had manipulated it before handing it over?

"See, Minister! It's exactly as you suspected, raising a wizard army of his own to overthrow the Ministry!"

"Action has got to be taken," said Fudge drawing up his chest and looking at each of the Aurors beside him, "You are under arrest for conspiracy to overthrow the Ministry of Magic and will be taken to Azkaban prison until such time..."

"Ah," said Dumbledore simply, "I thought we'd hit this little snag."

Fudge looked up at Dumbledore with slightly wide eyes.

"You seem to be operating under the delusion that I will... what's the phrase... 'come quietly'?" Dumbledore smirked... it looked rather evil on the old man, "You are mistaken."

Dumbledore raised his hands into the air as Fawkes flew above him. In a jet of bright red light, both of them had gone.

"You may not like it Minister, but you can't deny, Dumbledore's got style." said Shacklebolt, chuckling slightly.

The several members of the Defense Association that had been apprehended by the Inquisitorial Squad were released when Fudge called the second Auror, Dawlish, to have them do so.

Ginny walked over from where she stood in front of Dumbledore's desk to her boyfriend, bunched up her fists, sent one spiraling into his nose and the other at his right eye. Kicking him as he fell, she half-yelled, half-whispered,

"We're through."

With another kick, this one between the legs, she stomped out of the office and charged back to her dorms.

They were free of punishment this time, Harry felt, though Ginny would likely face repercussions for her assault on her ex-boyfriend, the rest of the D.A. was home free, thanks to Dumbledore, and, though it seemed a little strange to admit, thanks to Ginny Weasley.

The name 'Dumbledore's Army' did have a slight ring to it, Harry decided, but, that name was for a different book, by a different author.

Harry took Pansy's hand in his and watched the adults watch him as they turned to leave, other members of the D.A. trickling out behind them, earning glares of loathing from the Inquisitorial Squad as they left.

Harry knew the D.A. versus I.S. battle had only just begun.

And they were going to win, damn it.

* * *

**A/N: Hmm...**


	32. In the Eye of the Beholder

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-two – In the Eye of the Beholder  
**

* * *

Harry stood about five feet across from his potions master, the door of the dungeon closed and locked as his teacher stared at him with a grin so sinister it could rival that of Lord Voldemort... and even Dolores Umbridge. 

"Libra's already taught me some Occlumency." said Harry simply watching as his teacher drew his wand. Harry had to fight the instinct to hex him into oblivion as the wand turned in Harry's direction.

"Do you really think an inexpert twelve-year-old _girl_ really is all that skilled at Legilimency?" he laughed and rolled his eyes, "You really are an idiot, Potter." Before Harry could fire a retort Snape shouted, "_LEGILLIMENS_!"

Harry watched only briefly as Snape prodded through his mind. Harry, acting on his training from Libra, however insignificant it may have been in the eyes of his professor, pushed Snape right into his memories of Lord Voldemort in the graveyard the previous year. Unlike Libra, Harry didn't care if he hurt the slime-ball.

Harry could have sworn he heard a strangled cry erupt from Snape's mouth as he stumbled backward and lowered his wand, quickly raising himself upward to regain composure as if nothing had happened, Harry could read his lips as he muttered, "Merlin, that hurt.".

Snape glowered at Harry as he spoke once again, clearing his throat before he did so in a vain attempt to suppress the voice distortion caused by the pain he was still reeling from, Harry could see Snape was bleeding from his forehead, a drop or two occasionally dropping onto the dark tiles below,

"So she has taught you something." he tried to give an evil grin, but it came off completely wrong, making him look severely mentally disturbed instead, "But you need to _close_ your mind. Seeing even the slightest hint of a memory, the Dark Lord can and will use it against you, make you weaker than you already are,"

"I'm not weak!" Harry shot, waving his hand to blow up a piece of chalk at the chalkboard, Snape ignored the event and growled,

"Then prove it! _LEGILLIMENS!_"

* * *

Strange thing about Mindseeking... using it on someone already trying to force their way through your mind, to defend yourself, causes a very odd phenomenon... the person, from his experience with Libra.. and now with Snape, is often forced to act out the memory until they withdraw. 

Harry was quite glad he didn't use any of his intimate memories with Pansy... or even his kisses with Hermione while forcing his way through Snape's mind. Harry didn't think he could ever feel pure again if something like _that_ were to happen. If it were Libra, like had happened the first time it occurred, he'd just shrug it off. She was an attractive girl only a few years younger than him and also practically his daughter, so it didn't really matter.

Again, Harry was quite relieved he didn't use any of those kinds of memories. Unfortunately, he did use a memory in which a two-year old Dudley stripped himself down to his diaper and ran around screaming, "SWEETS!"

Harry'd never look at his professor the same way again.

* * *

_He'd been down this corridor a million times by now, each time reaching the door only to have himself ripped away from his sleep to some ungodly interruption... but now... the door was opening..._

_He stepped inside...  
_  
"Damn." Harry mumbled under his breath, turning to observe the sleeping form of his beautiful wife beside him. Grunting in annoyance, he fell back downward and wrapped himself carefully with her, pulled her closer, and drifted back to sleep as she rested her head cutely on his bare chest.

* * *

_Another night_

Harry didn't really know how it happened, but somehow, Ginny had managed her way into their common room one night. Harry hadn't been able to sleep, fussing once again over a repeated failure to see what the other side of the door had hidden, he had decided to sit on the couch in his common room. It shouldn't have been a big deal. He'd just wrapped his night robes around himself and gone down the stairs...

To come face to face with Ginny Weasley.

"Um..." choked Harry, trying not to look completely startled, "Hi."

Ginny didn't speak, just half-heartedly motioned for him to sit beside her on the same love seat that he'd comforted an Imperiused Hermione the year before. After checking Ginny's eyes for any glazy look, Harry opened his mouth to speak to break the awkward silence,

"Thank you," he began in a rather soft voice, "For doing what you did... saving the members of the D.A. I know it was you that altered the parchment, thank you. I should have thanked you earlier, I don't know why I didn't..."

He was rambling now, and that scared him a little. He broke off as she turned to look at him, her brown eyes sparkled with the appearance of holding back tears. In a stable and calm voice she spoke,

"Thank you for saving my life... during the Quidditch game." she started to mumble, but quickly caught herself and cleared her voice, "I never thanked you for that and I'm sorry... and..."

She was rambling, too. Rather than allow her to embarrass herself, he embraced her in a brotherly hug, resting his cheek on the top of her forehead as he held her, she broke into tears.

He knew why she was crying, it was obvious. It had been her boyfriend, ex-boyfriend now, that had betrayed the D.A. in the first place.

"Ginny, I know it hurts."he whispered, kissing her forehead, "Betrayal is never an easy thing to get over."

She turned, a tear streaming down her bright cheek as she opened her mouth,

"Harry, I love you."

Harry looked up at the ceiling, avoiding her gaze, trying to come up with the best way to deal with what he knew was coming,

"I know you do, Ginny. I love you, too." he whispered, mentally adding, "But, I'm not _in_ love with you."

"I'm still _in love_ with you," she corrected, her voice quickly became small and pained, "The feelings... they won't ever go away."

There was yet another awkward silence before she spoke once again,

"The whole time I was with Blaise... I kept thinking to myself that it was all for the better, that just maybe I'd found my knight in shining armor... but every time I close my eyes I still see your face...every time he kissed me... I thought of you."

She paused again, but, this time, it was Harry that broke the silence,

"I'm already married, Ginny. I do love you, Gin, but like a sister." he took in a deep breath, "If things had turned out a little differently, I'd like to think maybe we'd've had a chance together, maybe... if there were a different writer... one with more skills...and a much bigger paycheck..."

Ginny looked at him curiously.

"But, Ginny, I'm already married," he whispered, "my heart has already been taken, I love Pansy, and..."

She cut him off by crashing her lips on his, kissing him softly for a second before Harry pushed her away in a mix of outrage and annoyance,

"Ginny!" he breathed, trying not to get angry.

"I'm sorry." she mumbled, turning away from him.

"No, you're not." he snapped.

"I needed to know..." she stood, dropped a folded piece of parchment in his lap and vanished as she Blinked away.

Looking the parchment over, he could see the faint outline of text written neatly on its inside. Making a note to read it later, as he felt his eyelids grow heavy, he tucked it into his pocket and went back upstairs to bed.

* * *

Harry rested his head on his hand has he watched Libra and Nick flirt unabashedly across from him at the table. Nick said something he couldn't hear, but when she blushed brightly, Harry couldn't help but laugh a little at how cute she looked, 

"Aw, can we keep her?"

Pansy pretended to look annoyed and rolled her eyes,

"I swear, you look at her with any more love in your eyes and it might just as well be _lust_."

Harry smirked and pulled his wife closer, kissing her cheek,

"You know the only woman I lust after is you, hon."

She stayed quiet for a little while before turning her head to allow her eyes to meet his,

"I know." she took in a deep breath, briefly looked downward and then retook his gaze for her own, "Harry, I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"If I die during this war, I want you to remarry."

"Not that."

She nodded to reaffirm her standing.

"You're not going to die." Harry's voice was quite strained as he attempted to keep from crying, he kissed her briefly on the lips, "I won't let you... I love you... you're too strong to die..."

"Perhaps."

"No perhaps about it, hon." he said firmly, "Seeing you dead'd kill me."

"Just promise me."

"I can't." he whined, he didn't want anyone else in the world more than he wanted Pansy, he couldn't even stand the thought of having to live a life without her. She placed a lingering kiss on his lips and rested her forehead on his,

"For me?"

Harry closed his eyes and sighed,

"For you, I promise."

* * *

**A/N: So... that awkward Harry/Ginny moment that I've known would come since chapter twenty of book 2... Hmm.**

**Anyways, more information is now available concerning "Apotheosis" (Book 4): There will be four endings to the fourth part in this series, one 'canon' ending, as well as three additional alternate endings. I can't wait to write 'em. ;-D**

**Also, with the release of this chapter, BEYOND is now officially the longest part of the series, passing GIVE YOURSELF AWAY's 35,863 words. Thanks to longer chapters, of course. **


	33. The Weapon and the Vision

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-three – The Weapon and the Vision  
**

* * *

Harry found himself staring up at the curtains on his four-poster once again, for the third night in a row, he'd failed to quickly fall asleep. Detangling himself from Pansy as quietly as he could, he took a seat beside the bed and sat, thinking about all the things that had occurred the past several days. 

Remembering the piece of parchment he'd stuffed in his robes the night before, he leant against the window to read its contents in the moonlight,

"Harry,

If I've left this note for you, I've done something stupid to betray your trust and for that, I'm sorry. I should have learned by now that I need to let you go, I'm just finding it rather hard, and the incident involving Blaise didn't make it any easier.

I want you to know that I've not forgotten what you said about finding my Knight in Shining Armor, I won't ever forget it. I will keep looking, even though I do still feel you are that man.

I need you to know that you have my loyalty, no matter who is at your side, I will be a single step behind you to back you up and defend you. I can only hope that you find it within you to forgive me.

Ginny"

* * *

"Now," began McGonagall after their first attempts at transfiguring a whistle into a pocket watch, "I would like you to..." 

Her words faded out from his thoughts as his vision went dark, the image of Pansy faded from his sight, as did the silhouette of McGonagall in the corner of his eyes...

_"I need that Prophecy." he heard himself speaking in a dark, high, scratching voice._

_"You'll have to kill me." said the man before him._

_It was Sirius._

_"But of course, I will." he continued, brandishing is yew wand at the man, "But first, you'll fetch it for me."_

_Sirius swallowed and shook his head, his eyes widened in fear._

_"CRUCIO!"_

Harry was woken with a start from a loud bang. Outside the windows of the classroom, an enormous fiery wheel exploded magnificently, sparks of millions of colors boomed as the firework raced around, breaking through the window, only to zoom out of the classroom and race into the Halls.

Following behind McGonagall, the class was met with the sight of Umbridge and Filch running around in circles, screaming their heads off as Fred and George wreaked havoc, releasing more fireworks from their broom.

"MINERVA!" Umbridge squawked, "HELP!"

McGonagall was too distracted by the poltergeist attempting to unscrew a chandelier to pay heed to the screeching toad dodging yet another firework.

Harry snorted as he heard words coming from Professor McGonagall he never thought he'd hear,

"It unscrews the other way."

Fred and George rocketed over Umbridge's head, causing her to crash backward onto the ground. As they flew out the large oak doors, they shouted their parting words,

"Give her hell from us, Peeves!"

The second they left Harry's line of sight, the memory of the vision in class came back to him, sending panic spiraling down his already shaky body.

* * *

"Harry, what's going on!" breathed Hermione as she raced behind him, yanking her wrist free from his grasp, he stopped suddenly in front of the door to their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. 

"Sirius said that Voldemort was after something." Harry began, panting slightly, "Something he didn't have last time, and it's in the Department of Mysteries."

"Harry!" cried Pansy, trying to pull him to face her.

"Harry, please!" Ron gasped as he bent over to catch his breath.

"Harry, listen!" Hermione countered after he explained his vision, "What if Voldemort meant for you to see this? What if he's only hurting Sirius because he's trying to get to you?"

Harry tried unsuccessfully to prevent himself from getting angry and shouting,

"Well, so what if he is? I'm supposed to just let him die?" he settled his voice some as she began to look like she'd cry, "Hermione, he's the closest thing to a father I've got left!"

"What do we do?" she whined as he turned away from her and pushed the doors open,

"We'll have to use the Floo Network." he said simply, taking steps toward the professor's office.

"But Umbridge has the grates on surveillance." Libra pointed out as she ran into the room, racing in front of Harry to stop him.

"Not all of them."

* * *

Harry grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and turned to Ron, 

"Ron, alert the Defense Association... and the Order if you can." Ron stared at him blankly as he groaned, but Blinked away.

"I need to go this alone." Harry said firmly, kneeling downward to step into the grate.

"Are you mad?" hissed Pansy, grabbing her own handful of powder as Hermione and Libra did the same, "We're going with you."

"It's too dangerous." he said dryly, looking at each of the three girls in turn.

Hermione looked peeved,

"Harry, when are you going to get it into your head, we're in this together?"

"And... that... you... are." growled Umbridge as she stepped foot in her office, immediately stunning Pansy before she could react, knowing full well she'd cause her the most problems.

"PANSY!"

Harry dropped his Floo powder and raced to Pansy's side as she hit the ground with an unnerving flop. Turning to face Umbridge after ensuring that she was in tolerable condition, Harry growled,

"You..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Harry had three wands focused on him. Nott, Crabbe, and Umbridge all had their wands in his direction, brandishing the menacingly as each gave an evil smirk.

"Caught this one trying to help the Weasley girl." Draco shouted as he came into the room, prodding Neville with his wand viciously as Neville stumbled inside.

"Neville?" Harry made a mental note to make doubly sure that Neville got completely capable of Blinking and soon. It would be his only escape. Harry sighed as Daphne Greengrass walked into the room slowly, her arm around Luna's throat and her wand at Ginny's.

"Ginny." Harry spoke mentally to Ginny, pressing his mind into hers for an answer, "Why didn't you just Blink away?"

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when Ginny spoke into his,

"It would reveal something to her that she needn't know we have up our sleeve."

Umbridge eyed him curiously as he tried to look innocent.

"You can Mindseek?"

Ginny's eyes darted in his direction,

"I took a peek at Libra's book over the holiday, yes."

Harry rolled his eyes, he should have known Libra wouldn't have been the only one to read it. Heck, if Hermione hadn't already, she'd've taken a good peek, too.

"I'm still mad with you." he thought dryly.

"Fair enough."

Their conversation was interrupted when Umbridge spoke, walking closer to him.

"You were going to Dumbledore, weren't you?" she sneered, curling up her eyebrows in her characteristically disturbing fashion.

"No."

She pushed him down into a chair with a flick of her wand and prodded the stick against his throat,

"Don't you lie to me. You don't have your goddess wife to save you this time."

Snape came through the door, looking professionally at the scene before him,

"You sent for me, Headmistress?"

She turned from Harry, keeping one eye on the future savior of the world while looking with the other at the potions master,

"Snape! Yes! The time has come for answers, whether he wants to give them to us or not." she paused momentarily, "Have you brought the Veritaserum?"

Snape shook his head,

"I'm afraid you used up all my stores interrogating students, the last of it on Ms. Freewater."

She was silent as she looked at him with disgust.

"Unless you wish to poison him." he took a deep breath and smiled, "Then, I assure you, I would have the greatest sympathy if you did. Otherwise, I'm afraid I cannot help you."

Harry tried to force through Snape's mind mentally before speaking in cryptic words to get his attention as the professor turned to leave,

"He's got Padfoot, at the place where it's hidden."

Umbridge once again turned her full attention to Harry,

"Padfoot? What's Padfoot, what is it?" she turned to the man in the door, "What is he talking about, Snape?"

"No idea." he said quite simply and left. Seeing the man's cloak whip out of sight she wheeled around and pointed her grubby sausage of a finger at Harry, narrowly missing poking his eye,

"Very well, you leave me no choice, Potter. As this is a matter of Ministry security you leave me with no other option. The Cruciatus curse ought to loosen your tongue."

"That's illegal!" screeched Hermione as Draco whipped his wand in her direction. When Pansy stirred, his wand once again flicked, a bright red light flashing and hitting Pansy in the chest. She again went quiet.

Umbridge took a small breath and gently pushed down a picture of the Minister of Magic on her desk.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him." Umbridge pulled her wand back slightly and opened her mouth,

"Cr..."

"NO!" Hermione and Libra shrieked together, Hermione's voice continued shakily, "Tell her, Harry!" she turned to Harry and breathed, "It's not worth it! If you don't tell her... I will."

She grinned widely, quite a sickening sight, really,

"Tell me what?"

Harry threw a confused glance at Hermione. What the heck was she doing?

"If you won't tell her where it is... I... I... will." she stammered, playing a false surrender very believably.

"Where what is?" said Umbridge quietly, retracting her wand from Harry's throat to move it in Hermione's direction.

"Dumbledore's secret weapon." Hermione responded calmly, taking in a deep breath afterward.

"What are you..." Harry began mentally in the bookworm's thoughts before he suddenly acquired a dull headache,

"Just play along."

Umbridge smiled,

"Show me, then." Hermione nodded and walked toward the door, Harry standing cautiously and following.

The second the doors to the office closed, Harry could hear Libra's soft whisper,

"Ennervate."

* * *

**A/N: So... hopefully that was at least a semi-interesting chapter... rather close to canon, but I do like the ending. D**


	34. Thestrals

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-four – Thestrals  
**

* * *

Pansy felt the weight on her eyes fade away. Rather than move as she had done last time, seeing as Draco would likely just re-stun her. Pansy Blinked off into a corner into a standing position and threw her hand outward at Daphne, causing the stunned girl to slump to the floor, releasing Luna from her death grip and causing her two hostage's wands to drop to the ground. 

Snatching her wand quickly, Ginny spun around and fired a Stunning Jinx at Draco Malfoy, his own form dropping to the ground in a useless ball of immobile flesh.

Seeing the need for action as Nott raised his wand at Ginny, Luna waved her hand over her own wand which flew upward into her hand,

"_STUPEFY!_" Nott dropped to the floor as his compatriots had, his head hitting the professor's desk as he crashed backward into it. Luna just smirked.

The two short forms of the Aragon twins appeared that very instant, quickly casting a pair of Stunning Jinxes directly at Goyle. Both catching him dead in the chest, he flew backward, crashing into a glass case as the delicate china shattered within.

Crabbe looked at Pansy with a look mixed with pleading for mercy and sheer stupidity. Catching himself, he rose his wand and shot a bright green curse in her direction, which she deflected using flick of her wrist as she stormed toward him. The tiles beneath her buckled upward and warped, melting as she stepped nearer and nearer. The debris around her feet forgot the laws of gravity as it floated menacingly from her path till she stood directly before the miserable oaf, his eyes wide with horror as he dropped his wand and let out a feminine squeal.

"Where... is... my... husband?" she growled, internally smirking as she could sense where he was through their mental connection. She cocked an eyebrow and grinned, "Don't know? Never knew much of anything did you, Crabbe?"

He swallowed as, once again, she flicked her wrist and he went face first through and out the window.

* * *

Harry could sense Pansy once again, without even bothering to dip his mind into hers, he leant over and whispered to Hermione, 

"They got 'em."

"Who got who?" Umbridge said shakily, looking back and forth from Hermione to Harry, "What's going on?"

Harry simply grinned and Hermione followed suit.

"There isn't really a weapon, is there? You were trying to trick me!" she choked, pointing her wand at each of them in turn. "You know... I really hate children."

Harry shot his hand out at her and she crashed into the tree only a few feet behind her, emitting a sickening umph as she landed. Harry walked toward her body and pulled their wands from her lose grasp, offering Hermione hers with an open hand.

"We did it." she breathed, tucking her wand behind her ear as he had known Luna to do. Without any thought, she threw her arms around him, gave him a quick peck on the lips, and smiled.

Her eyes widened, then she cleared her throat, backing away suddenly, nervously brushing herself off.

"As friends." she mumbled, realizing what she'd just done. He nodded as they Blinked back into their Defense teacher's office to see the room in total shambles.

* * *

"So... how are we getting to London?" said Neville shakily as he removed himself from his awkward position against the wall. 

Several people Blinked into the room as he finished his question. First Gabrielle, Nicki, and Nick (which was met with an enthusiastic squeal from Libra), then Hannah, and finally Kent Aragon.

Nick spoke quietly as he managed to pull Libra away from himself long enough to breathe,

"Can't we just Blink there?" he said excitedly, "That'd be wicked cool."

Harry shook his head,

"Blink that far and you might as well jump off the astronomy tower."

Nick sighed,

"That dangerous, huh?"

Harry nodded. The room was quiet for almost a full minute, everyone's eyes searching one another for some answer when Ron appeared.

"So... how_ are_ we going to get to London?" he asked, looking at Harry immediately as he took Hermione's hand and kissed her forehead.

"We fly." said Luna with her dreamy tones, motioning to the open window. "Using the Thestrals... and..." she amended seeing the looks on several faces, "Brooms if you have one."

* * *

About thirty minutes later found them in the sky, Harry on his _Firebolt_ beside Libra on hers and Pansy on her _Sapphire Cirrus_. Harry looked around at the group, most people where on Thestrals and acting very uneasy as very few of them could actually see them, Luna Lovegood was the only one not internally shrieking with nerves as she dreamily took in the cold breeze on her pale face, the air whipping through her hair, causing it to whip around behind her like a sea of gold. 

"I wish I could see them." said Ginny shakily, swallowing hard as she looked around her. It had to be bizarre flying on nothing Harry noted mentally, but he knew she hadn't quite understood the significance of her statement, nor the terrible price it took to be able to do so.

"Do you?" he said grimly, taking in her chocolaty brown eyes. She turned away and mumbled a 'no'.

* * *

The people on brooms landed first, helping those unable to see the Thestrals from their winged beasts. They all stood face-to-face with what Ron called the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic. 

A telephone booth.

* * *

**A/N: Hope that was an enjoyable chapter. I actually got a little giddy writing the Pansy / I.S. Scene. Was quite enjoyable to write, hehe.**

**As always, I love to see reviews, they keep crazy minds like mine cracking out new chapters. Also be sure to check out the "Never Alone" forums for news and review responses that could answer your dying questions about the series!**


	35. The Prophecy and the Veil

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-five – The Prophecy and the Veil  
**

* * *

Inside the Ministry of Magic was rather dark, the place had gone empty for the business day was over. People were completely absent, not even the lone security guard hung 'round for magic defended the building in every way they thought to. 

The atrium was large, open and rather gloomy at this time of night. In the centre, a large fountain comprising of four statues, a witch, wizard, elf, and centaur, all from which a small stream of crystalline water sprayed.

Following his gut, Harry walked across the large floors, the loyal members of the D.A. following behind him as he walked onto an elevator and told it where he wanted to go.

"Department of Mysteries" said a woman's voice as the elevator came to a stop and opened, permitting them exit to walk down the long hallway, slowing as he opened the door at the end, leading into a room full of nothing but doors, all closed and eerily dark.

Remembering his visions, Harry took a step forward, others following behind him as the door closed on its own. Harry walked slowly to the door in his dreams, opening it cautiously, he peered inside as those around him remained quiet.

"This is it. This is the room."

Seeing row after row of shelves holding small, transparent orbs, Harry stepped into the room and walked by each row of the small orbs, observing the numbers on the ends as he passed.

"78...79...80..." Harry counted to himself, stopping suddenly where he had remembered Sirius being attacked, in a shakily small voice Harry spoke, "He should be here."

Harry looked at the ground around him for any sign of his godfather, his eyes scanning for any trace of the man...

"Harry?" Neville's voice pulled him out of his desperate search, "...It... it's got your name on it."

"Harry!" breathed Pansy, tugging on his arm. Harry wheeled around and caught sight of what rose the tempo of his wife's heartbeat.

"Where is Sirius?" said Harry plainly, staring at the man advancing toward him in the shadows, a silvery mask covering the man's face as he grew nearer,

"You know..." he began... Harry knew this voice. He knew Pansy did too when he felt her jump beside him, "you really should learn to tell the difference between dreams..." his wand waved in front of the mask, causing the silver to pull toward it as it quickly vanished into thin air. "...and reality." he took another step, and a small breath through his nostrils, "You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see." Lucius Malfoy grinned.

Libra took a step forward and glared at the man before her. Harry could feel, without even looking directly at her, the hate emanating from ever fibre in her being,

"Father..." she breathed through gritted teeth, not taking her eyes from him for even a moment, not even blinking.

"You are no daughter of mine." he spat turning back to Harry, "Now hand me the Prophecy."

Harry thought for a brief moment, trying his hardest to think a way out of this situation as further Death Eaters came at them from the sides,

"You do anything... to any of us... and I'll break it."

There was a demented cackle as a tall, sickly-looking woman emerged from the shadows behind Lucius Malfoy. She may have been remotely beautiful once, but her many years in Azkaban, Harry assumed, had taken every last hint of that from her flesh.

"Well, well. He knows how to play!" she laughed giving the group a quirky grin and possessed look, "Itty...bitty, baby! Potter."

This time it was Neville who took a step forward, brandishing his wand at the woman, his words shook some when he spoke,

"Bellatrix Lestrange."

And that she was. Harry recognized her from the memories he and Libra had removed, destroyed, and locked away from his parents' minds.

"Neville Longbottom, is it?" she said with tones with which one would speak to a small child, "How's mum and dad?" Harry could feel the blood of every person around him boil with her words.

"Even better now that they're about to be avenged." He lunged forward but was caught by a quick-thinking Hermione and Gabrielle Delacour.

"Let's... everyone just... calm down, shall we?" Lucius Malfoy spoke again in his nonchalant tone of voice, his eyebrows raised slightly in false importance, "All we want is that prophecy."

"Why did Voldemort need _me_ to come to get this?" Harry said, picking up and holding the orb sightly to afford them a clear look at the sphere.

"You dare speak his name?!" screeched Bellatrix, preparing to lash at him herself, and she clawed her long nails into Lucius' arm as he pulled her back, "YOU FILTHY HALF-BREED!"

"He's a half-blood, too." Harry shot, smirking, "He's been telling you he's pureblood, hasn't he?"

"Settle down," said Lucius, an annoyed expression overtaking his blank one, "he's just a curious and foolish lad, aren't you?" he laughed slightly at what to him was clearly a good joke, "Prophecies can only be retrieved by those about those whom they are made."

Two additional Death Eaters appeared behind the members of the Defense Association, their hoods hiding their true faces,

"Which is lucky for you, really." he said smoothly, eyeing the prophecy in Harry's hand, "Haven't you always wondered what the reason for the connection between you and the Dark Lord was, hmm?" he continued to speak, his tones untouched by the agitation he know felt building within him, "Why he was unable to kill you... only a child... an infant." he paused for a moment to take in the look that he hoped would rise on Harry's face, but was slightly angered when it failed to appear. "Don't you want to know the secret of your scar?" he took a calming breath, "All the answers are there, in your hand. All you have to do is give it to me and I can show you everything."

Harry could sense he was lying, without blinking, flinching, or showing any sign of weakness he spoke,

"I've waited fourteen years..." he began, quickly relaying instructions to each member of the Defense Association as fast as he could.

"I know." said Lucius slyly holding out his arm to take the orb from him.

"...I can wait a little longer."

Immediately, all fifteen of the members vanished from where they stood, sending stunning and disabling spells flying at the Death Eaters from where they had Blinked a few feet behind the backmost Death Eaters.

"Get to the door." Harry echoed the words in each members minds as Luna Lovegood came face to face with a Death Eater. Casually pulling her wand from behind her ear she rose it at the man and instantly sent a spell toward him,

"_LEVICORPUS!_" she Blinked the second the man turned upside down, hanging by his ankle in the air as his robes hug around his head, swaying some in an impossible breeze.

"_STUPEFY_!" Neville called at the same man that Luna had jinxed just the moment before. As the spell hit, the Death Eater's eyes snapped shut and he crashed to the ground, a cracking noise echoing through the hall as he did so.

"Well done, Neville." Luna smiled, pulling Neville into a brief kiss as they ran toward the door.

Hermione, Ron, Pansy, and Harry all raced to the door a few feet in front of them, swinging the door open with a whip of her hand, Pansy raced inside and threw a host of wand-based Stunning Jinxes at the Death Eaters coming their way.

"_STUPEFY_!" she yelled, whipping her wand again as Ron darted through the door with Hermione, followed closely by Nick, Nicki, and Gabrielle spiraled around and began to shout the same words, "_STUPEFY_!" The spells where deflected, hitting a far away shelf instead.

"Quickly... get through the door..." said Harry a little panicky as he turned around. Harry ran inside as well, the Aragons, Ginny, Neville, and Luna racing after him, whirring about and shouting at the top of their lungs,

"_STUPEFY_!"

Ginny began to get thoroughly agitated at the little progress they were making, throwing her wand upward in the direction of one of the closest shelves, she shouted,

"_REDUCTO_!"

Row after row of fragile glass orbs came crashing to the ground on top of the Death Eaters running after them, slamming the door shut after Hannah Abbot darted through, before any more unfriendlies could make their way through.

A dreamy voice came from behind him, but it was not that of Luna Lovegood, it was his wife,

"Harry, this isn't were we came in." her eyes were wide, staring at a large arch. In its space, a veil, a pale and silky white billowing softly in a nonexistent breeze.

"Department of Mysteries," said Ron slowly, taking in the view himself, forgetting the Death Eaters in the neighboring room, "well they had that right, didn't they?"

"The voices..." Harry said, sounding quite detached, "Can you hear what they're saying...?"

"There aren't any voices, Harry." said Hermione worriedly, "Let's get out of here."

Luna took a step toward the veil and crooked her head interestedly,

"No, no. There are, I can hear them, too."

Pansy stood beside Harry and breathed,

"So can I..."

Ron cocked an eyebrow and shook each of their shoulders in turn.

"Harry... Pansy..."

"Luna..." said Hermione irritably, "It's just an empty archway." she pulled forcefully on Harry's right shoulder, "Please, Harry!"

Harry could sense something... Instantly, his mind broke free of the odd feelings he was drowning in from behind the veil and pushed those closest to him, Hermione, Luna, and Pansy, behind him.

"GET BEHIND ME!" he shouted to the remainder, who all quickly complied, not really knowing why until the door blasted open, Death Eaters pouring in like a leak in a septic tank.

Whirring in a blur of color as Harry's forehead exploded in a harsh flame of pain, Harry fell to his knees. Harry could sense panic as several voices filled his head,

"HARRY! I can't Blink!" Pansy's voice came first.

"Harry, I can't Blink!" cried Libra in his mind. His fatherly instincts wanted him to rush over to her and protect her, but he could scarcely move. His head's sharp pain went dull, then to something of a headache as Hermione's voice entered his mind,

"I can't Blink! Something wrong with this room, Harry."

Before Harry could find himself on his feet again, each member of his beloved Defense Association had a respective Death Eater's wand at their throats. Harry could see Hermione struggling to speak vocally, to do anything to get herself free, she was wholly unable.

"I can't talk aloud, either Harry." her mental voice sounded worried, "I don't know what spell they cast but..."

"Did you actually think... or were you truly naïve enough to think that children stood a chance against us?" the voice of Lucius Malfoy came before him once again, his arms held out on either side of him, his wand tucked neatly between two of his fingers as he sauntered closer, "I'll make this simple for you, Potter." he held his hand out to receive, "Give me the Prophecy now, or watch your friends die."

"Don't give it to him, Harry!" Neville cried, struggling against his captor. Bellatrix shushed him.

Harry couldn't bare to see his friends suffer, in hoping that doing this, it would allow his friends their liberty, Harry let his hand wander forward and gently place the prophecy in Lucius' palm.

The second the orb landed, there was a bright flash of white light, and out of no where, it seemed, the rugged form of Sirius Black stood beside Harry, bunching up a fist in a tight ball as he sent it flying at the Death Eater's nose,

"Get away from my godson."

Lucius Malfoy fell backward, landing roughly, internally shrieking as the fragile sphere within his hands slipped and broke against the marble floor...

* * *

**A/N: So there were a few changes from canon in this chapter, next chapter should get considerably further. Warning: There will be a minimum of two character deaths in the next chapter, so brace yourself.**

**Hehe, just realized this is the longest chapter in the series yet, over 2000 words.**


	36. Forgiveness at Last Breath

**Warnings: Character death, violence, and language. **

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-six – Forgiveness at Last Breath  
**

* * *

In repeated flashes of light, more and more members of the Order stood, casting their eyes about, fleeing off to a member of the Defense Association to liberate them from their deathly bonds. Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin shone first, racing off in opposite directions to save the two sets of twins. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dawlish casting themselves in the direction of Libra and Gabrielle respectively. Alice Longbottom racing toward her son, and Frank toward Luna and Hermione. 

A jet of green light shot out from Bellatrix's wand as Alice neared, ducking it and sending her own bright red spell in the Death Eater's direction, she quickly grasped her son from the wench's grasp and threw him his wand.

Before Lucius could rise again, Sirius yanked Harry off to the side and spoke firmly and concernedly,

"Now, listen to me, I want you to take the others and get yourselves out of here."

"No, I'm staying with you." said Harry breathlessly, breaking free of Sirius' loose grasp and standing to his full height.

"You've done beautifully." said Sirius, patting him on the shoulder, "Now let us take it from here."

Sirius knocked them both downward as another bright green curse narrowly missed the pair. Sirius stood to full height and shot his own spell at the curse's caster, a bleeding but fully active Lucius Malfoy.

Harry began throwing his own spells at Lucius behind Sirius as the three fought it out in front of the Veil. Lucius sending his bright green killing curses as Harry and Sirius took turns sending their own spells, a mix of jinxes and stuns.

In the background Harry could hear the maniacal cackle of Bellatrix Lestrange, internally he was hoping that she hadn't just had her sick way with any of his friends.

There was another flash of white light as Alastor Moody stood, looking rather pissed as he stormed off after Rodolphus Lestrange, his wand pointing directly at the man's throat as he began to throw Cruciatus Curses at Libra.

Whipping his wand upward, Moody sent the man flying into the wall where his head smashed, painting the wall the same color as Hermione's blushes.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Harry shouted, Lucius' wand flew from his hand, landing with a clank, clank on the marble floor below.

"Nice one, James!" Sirius shouted, forgetting just who he was talking to. For a moment, Harry felt enthralled by this slip of the tongue, but was quickly snapped back into the grim present as he heard Bellatrix's shrill voice come from up higher in the room, leaning on a handrail,

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

Harry swallowed, his eyes widened, he screamed internally and then externally as he saw the bright green light headed straight for his godfather. A voice came from behind him,

"_LEDO PERIVICIUM!_" It was Libra's. A violet blast of light hit her father, causing him to stumble before Harry and Sirius.

And take the blast of the killing curse.

_"And the reason I didn't kill him... something inside me told me he's needed for later."  
_  
Harry's emerald green eyes met Libra's ocean blue as he granted her a little nonverbal thanks, tears of appreciation streaming from his eyes as he spun back round to once again join the fray.

Libra had just sacrificed her father, however cruel he may have been to her, for Harry's happiness, for Harry's godfather. He could never repay her.

There was a desperate shriek as Harry watched Gabrielle Delacour fly across the room and crash into the wall, her silverly hair slipped against it as she slid down, knocked unconscious from the impact.

In a small fit of fury, Nick whipped his wand toward a shelf of small necklaces, all appearing to have a small hourglass filled with white sand. As they crashed to the floor at the feet of several Death Eaters, something most extraordinary occurred. The Death Eaters began to rapidly decrease in age before them, slipping backward to young adulthood, then into teenage, then to pre-puberty, till they became newborns. This got a small chuckle out of Harry, only to have it ripped off his face when he saw what was happening only ten feet from him.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" the streak of green light shot right over the head of Nick Granger, through a small gap in several duelists, it headed straight for him, until a small body cast itself in its path, the spell hitting, crashing elegantly into the chest of...

"Ginny!" Harry screamed, scrambling toward her. Tears poured down his eyes as he watched her fall to the floor in slow motion, her red hair lit against the bright colors of the spells still continuing to fly past them.

Crashing his thoughts into hers, he threw his arms around her to catch her before she hit the ground,

"I love you, Harry." was her final thought as her eyelids slid closed and her breathing stopped. The warmth in her body faded away gradually as Harry's tears danced on the surface of her robes.

"Ginny," Harry choked, "I forgive you."

Harry ran his hand along her soft cheek, crying bitterly as he bent over, kissed her forehead, and laid her down to peace.

Anger surged through Harry, fueling his adrenaline further, Harry raced off in the direction of the curse's caster, knocking Order member, DA member, and Death Eater alike over as he raced toward Yaxley, his palms ready for a spell at a second's notice, his knuckles popping of their own accord as his palmed stretched so completely in his anger that it looked strained.

Harry saw Ron's burly form race behind him, fiery orbs already shaping themselves within his hands as he barreled straight into the Death Eater, knocking the man to the ground and searing a large chunk of flesh as the Melting Charms collided with his face.

Harry's own fiery orbs crashed into the man, lighting his robes on fire, which he extinguished with a casual wave of his wand. Ron rose quickly, pulling is wand from his pocket. As Yaxley caught sight of Harry, he grinned and cackled,

"Killed your little girlfriend, didn't I, Potter?" he cackled once again, throwing his head back in demented laughter.

Ron whipped his wand at the man and shouted the only thing that could come to his mind,

"_CRUCIO!_"

"You've got to mean it." Yaxley jeered without even crying or showing any sign of pain, he just laughed again.

Harry was shoved to the side a foot as he pulled his wand from his robes, the furious form of Hermione Granger brandishing her wand at the Death Eater, her once gloriously chocolaty brown eyes filled with hate,

"Oh, fuck you!" she spat, whipping her wand at him, "You bastard!" if her irregularly colorful words weren't enough, what she did next shocked even several Death Eaters as people on both sides of the fight stopped momentarily to catch just what she was doing, "You don't kill my best female friend and get away with it... _CRUCIO_!"

Yaxley gave a pained screech only for a moment as Hermione's spell faded. Seeing that was clearly the best she could do, he proded at the Trio once again, not even bothering to defend himself as he knew the most they would do to him right now would be to cause him pain,

"You've got to mean it." he repeated. A spiraling purple jinx caught Hermione's side and she flew into Ron, landing roughly on the cold tile of the Ministry floor. Harry's already burning desire to cause this man pain only furthered as he raised his wand,

"_I_ do. _CRUCIO_!"

The man shrieked and shrieked, writhing in pain as Harry caught the memories of Ginny's dead body, of Hermione's unconscious form, and of Gabrielle.

A familiar voice filled Harry's ears as he was brought shot out of his memories.

"You.. killed... Ginny." the voice was angry, furious. Its owner raised his wand at the Death Eater,

"Blaise?" was all Harry managed to say before Blaise muttered his curse,

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

The Death Eater became still, but the little satisfaction his death brought still could not bring back Ginny. The thought continued to tear at Harry as he threw the occasional stunner and curse, listening to the screeches of various duelists.

"You really are the worst of the bunch." came Bellatrix's voice as she shot a curse that was quickly deflected by Nick at Libra. "Lucius should have killed you while he had the chance." she laughed, "But no matter, I'll handle it for him since he can't tend to you himself."

Nick just shook his head and shot a spell in her direction,

"Die, you bitch."

As Harry caught the last word, Nicki flew in front of him, flopping unceremoniously on the floor as she, too, lost consciousness. Almost immediately afterward, she was followed by Pansy, who crashed into Luna Lovegood.

"Merlin, not her, too." Harry panted, running to Pansy. Racing to her, he saw that she was unconscious, but still breathing. Pulling her off of Luna, he quickly mended several of each of their ribs.

The second Harry healed Luna, another green spell came jetting out from no where and hit Luna from behind.

Seeing green, and certainly not envy, Neville when into a rage induced fury, sending spells at anything and everything that was not friendly. Whipping his wand sideways, he threw Bellatrix against the wall and proceeded to hex her into oblivion as her wand fell from her grasp.

Harry heard himself scream as his scar ripped open in searing pain, his eyes tearing from the agony. Harry could see the fuzzy form of Lord Voldemort appear in the room, his magic-warped face smiling in demented bliss.

Harry felt Pansy stir beside him as she sent a curse at him immediately, which he deflected, then rose his wand to cast a spell of his own.

"It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom."

* * *

**A/N: (Silent sobbing) ...  
**

**Keep an eye on the Never Alone news forum for the schedule for tomorrow's midnight release. **


	37. The Only One He Ever Feared

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-seven – The Only One He Ever Feared  
**

* * *

Harry's vision cleared slightly as Pansy shook him, muttering several charms in her thoughts, he could hear them, echoing in the dark recesses of her mind as a comforting arm came around him to pull him into a tight embrace. Now, he knew, was not the time for intimacy or wonderful love, but for war. 

Ginny Weasley was dead. Gabrielle, Nicki, and Hermione were all out cold, still. Their bodies had failed to bring them back to consciousness at an urgent speed in an urgent time.

Luna was motionless behind him, he prayed that she wasn't dead, prayed that he wouldn't be the cause of any more deaths tonight. He'd led them all here, betrayed their trust in a way he'd never meant to. He led them straight into a trap.

"Ah, Dumbledore, how nice of you to join us." said Tom Riddle, backing slowly out of the room, Dumbledore gradually following after him, taking in the Dark Lord's terrible visage. "Have you come to kill me, Dumbledore? You're going to need to try a lot harder than that."

Dumbledore spoke calmly, his wand outstretched before him at his nemesis,

"Both you and I know that a simple killing curse would not do sufficient harm to kill you, Tom." Dumbledore stepped forward further and out the door, leading into the atrium.

Harry stood quickly, Pansy helping him to stand as he walked toward the hallway to join the two dueling adults. Pansy aided her fellow comrades as he left the room with the various curse and jinx, watching as her husband left the to the hall, his shoulders sunk and his eyes pained.

Harry's eyes bulged as he felt a small weight lifted from his shoulders he didn't even realized he'd been carrying. He could sense he was able to Blink again, now that he was free of that dreadful Veil's power.

Blinking into behind a shelf near his headmaster, Harry observed the duel, carefully noting the skill of each participant.

As Voldemort raised his wand to launch another curse, Dumbledore whipped his at the Fountain of Magical Brethren, the Centaur quickly took to firing its arrows, the witch, wizard, and Elf resorting to an attempt to corner the dark wizard.

Voldemort shook his wand and growled an annoyed grunt as the statues blew to pieces, shards flying in every direction, shredding a hanging banner of the Minister of Magic.

Hoping a sneak attack could be to his Headmaster's advantage, Harry quickly shot off a pair of Stunning Jinxes, only to have them whirring back at him a moment later so that he had to duck as they crashed into the wall behind him.

"Clever." he swore he heard Voldemort say, "Not nearly clever enough."

As Harry looked upward, he noted the Lord Voldemort's attentions were one again on Dumbledore. The petite form of Pansy Potter standing in the doorway only a few feet from the world's greatest menace.

She, unfortunately, did not go unspotted, and he send a killing curse her way. Luckily, being at the edge of the door, she was able to whip around and stay clear of the lethal jet of emerald light.

"Pansy." said Harry quickly in her thoughts, "You need to get the others, get the others and _get yourselves out of here_."

He could sense her nodding in his thoughts as he added an afterthought,

"And Pansy," he said in a small voice, "I need you to return Ginny's body to Hogwarts." he fought back a tear, "And check on Luna, I saw her take a pretty nasty hit when I came to your side after you were knocked out. I'm not sure, but she may be dead, too."

As he said these words, he could picture the lifeless forms of each member of the Defense Association flashing through his mind, followed by those in the Order, his friends, his self-made family.

And he'd failed them.

An enormous fiery serpent erupted from the tip of Voldemort's wand, racing toward Dumbledore as its magical jaws spread open hungrily, anxiously awaiting their feast.

Dumbledore reacted instantly, flicking his wand at the water still remaining in the fountain, it shot upward, spun around magnificently in the air, the took the shape of an enormous dragon, and froze, crystalline sparkles shimmering in the dimly lit atrium.

The crystal dragon swallowed the fiery serpent whole, melting instantly as a rush of water erupted onto the Ministry floor.

Going back to simple curses, rather than fancy Transiguration, the two continued their attempts to pummel one another into oblivion, each secretly hoping for a small screw-up from the other, because each knew they were too closely matched for this to be a quick fight.

Suddenly, people poured in from the door where Pansy had stood only the moment before. A limping Hermione held tightly in Ron's arms, a hunched Libra beside Nick, clutching his right arm in a sling-like fashion, a bleeding Gabrielle Delacour, her once silvery hair a bloody crimson held in the hands of Blaise Zabini, who, Harry still wasn't quite sure how he knew of the trip, an unconscious Nicki in the arms of Kent Aragon, who himself was looking a little beat up, a deep gash on his right cheek.

Harry saw Hannah Abbot and Kimberly Aragon supporting the more injured of the Aragon twins, Sarah panting and gasping in pain as her arms hug around her aider's necks.

Neville came in too, his grim expression tearing Harry apart as he noted the limp form of Luna Lovegood hanging from his arms. But, Harry could see the rise and fall in her chest, so, at least, she was alive.

And finally Pansy, her wand held upward in her hand. Harry managed to smile weakly at all of them before he saw the conjured stretcher on which the placid form of Ginny Weasley rested, her paleness and immobility only further tearing a hole in his heart.

As Pansy and Libra stepped forward, Harry could feel his heart ache to hold them somewhere safe, to keep them free from all the pains and tortures of the mortal world, to keep in an eternal peace where nothing could shatter hope.

As Harry blinked, Voldemort disappeared, and his once nearly clear vision became black, his body heavy. He could feel himself falling to the ground, falling, falling... as if he'd never land.

He felt his lips move, but he was not willing himself to speak,

"You're a fool, old man." This was not his voice, these were not his words. This was Voldemort speaking. Harry could sense a trembling in the dark wizard's voice, Harry could sense that something was causing him pain.

Harry suddenly knew what it was.

Ginny's sacrifice.

Lord Voldemort screamed within him as his thoughts of Ginny surfaced, the darkness becoming slightly warmer, less chilled.

Harry spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes rolling around in the back of his head as he resisted the painful urge to rip them out with his shaking fingers,

"Haven't they ever told you that love hurts?"

* * *

**A/N:  
See the Chapter Release schedule on my profile (or in the Forums under "News", there you will also see new information regarding the sequel) to see when each new chapter will release! All remaining chapters to this story will release tonight (OCT 31). The SEQUEL to this story and final part in this series, "Apotheosis", will have its first chapter release at midnight PST, simultaneous with the release of chapter 40 of this story.**

**As always, I want to hear what you think, please review!**


	38. Love Conquers All

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Eight – Love Conquers All  
**

* * *

Harry felt himself lurch backward, knowing it was Voldemort's way of punishing him without removing himself from Harry's mind. Harry gnashed his teeth as he felt himself finally fall to the ground. 

"You're weak."

Harry felt the darkness turn to a numb cold as his worst memories flooded his mind, all the terrible things that had happened to him tearing at him as Voldemort forced his way deep into Harry's thoughts.

_Harry awaited the arrival of Pansy. They had now been together for several weeks, and it was somewhat of a tradition to meet one another at the doors for a morning kiss and escort._

_But this morning, Pansy had not arrived with her Slytherin escort. Alone, Draco raced toward Harry, out of breath and panicky._

_"Where's Pansy?" Harry asked, fear racing through him._

_"That's what I've come to tell you! She's missing!" Draco's voice was strained. Not at all it's normal, irritated or hostile self._

_"Missing? Has the staff been informed?"_

Harry could feel himself tearing, but could do nothing about it. Fighting to prevent his teeth from shredding his tongue, he watched as another memory sped through his already weakened mind.

_The trapdoor blew away, flying everywhere into tiny pieces. Pansy screamed._

_Adrenaline and panic rippling through him, Harry raced down into the rubble and found Pansy._

_Her body was limp and unresponsive. She had cuts and lacerations, some likely from the blast, others from torture._

_Tears steamed down Harry's cheek. He couldn't lose her this way. He just couldn't._

_"Pansy!" He cried, "Pansy! Speak to me!"_

He could hear himself shouting, but he didn't care. He knew it would take so much more than her voice to save him from this...

_Harry stood, or rather, floated against the gravestone and screamed his mind into oblivion as the pain wretched itself deeper and deeper into his forehead, Harry was sure he was going to explode when the form of Peter Pettigrew came into the little light that was available._

_"Kill the spare!" said a high voice. Wormtail raised his wand toward Krum and shouted,_

_"AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

Death, it was the first time he'd remembered it completely. Sure, he'd seen his parents die, but he'd been graced with a lack of memory in that area. He continued to fight, hearing Voldemort scream on occasion, but the Dark Lord did not relent.

_Harry felt his heart explode with emotion as he watched the girl who so loyally took the curse for him._

_"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" the streak of green light shot right over the head of Nick Granger, through a small gap in several duelists, it headed straight for him, until a small body cast itself in its path, the spell hitting, crashing elegantly into the chest of..._

_He heard himself scream her name as he scrambled toward her, tears poured down his cheeks as he watched her fall to the floor in slow motion, her red hair lit against the bright colors of the spells still continuing to fly past them._

_Crashing his thoughts into hers, he threw his arms around her to catch her before she hit the ground,_

_Harry could see her thoughts, a bright and pure light off in the near distance as Ginny stepped toward the veil, giving a small wave and weak smile as she turned away from him,_

_"I love you, Harry." she whispered as her ghostly form drifted slowly upward into the great _Beyond_. Harry could feel himself drawn to the very conclusion Ginny had experienced, his heart battling with his mind against the yearning to follow her, to follow her to see what lay on the other side._

_As her consciousness concluded, Harry's mind found itself once again taking in the light from the spells flying in ever direction, the light streaking through the room, lighting up her features like the full moon in the darkest time of night. Her eyelids slid closed and her breathing stopped, Harry felt his own breathing cease until his body was racked with torturous sobs._

_The warmth in Ginny's body faded away gradually as Harry's tears danced on the surface of her robes, each drop a reminder of her sacrifice._

_"Ginny," Harry choked, "I forgive you."_

_If only he had told her sooner. If only he had told her at all... that it didn't matter..._

_Harry ran his hand along her soft cheek, crying bitterly as he bent over, kissed her forehead, and laid her down to peace._

He could see flashes of his own mangled body beside Ginny's, their faces both plain and pale, their eyes closed...  
_  
Harry looked into the mirror, watched as his reflection gradually morphed into that of Lord Voldemort._

_His muscles tautened, he was becoming the very man he sought to destroy...  
_  
He felt cool fingers on his forehead, brushing the hair out of his eyes. His body still screamed with pain, but the small hands doing such a seemingly insignificant gesture brought just a little comfort to him.

"Listen to me, Harry." said Hermione faintly in his thoughts as he fought for control of his own mind. "It's not how you are alike, it is how you are not."

Harry held onto her voice with every ounce of remaining strength he had. He smiled, not all was wrong with the world. Though darkness and misery threatened to swallow the world, there was still the small shield of hope, friendship, and love.

Harry began leading Voldemort through his thoughts as Libra had taught him to do. He was far to weak to attempt shutting him out entirely, and realized that if he'd done that from the beginning, he'd not be in the pain he was in now, but he was so, so used to allowing others in that it closing his mind hadn't even occurred to him. A foolish mistake.

Whipping first through feelings and small catches, Harry remembered Ron's caring and lighthearted spirit, his unwavering loyalty as he fought beside his friend and gathered supporters for this doomed mission.

Harry heard Hermione's laugh, her sweet spirit echoing in his mind as he saw her face, the cute way she bit her bottom lip and smiled, the way her tears streamed down her cheeks as a nearly forgotten memory found its way to his forethought.

_Hermione__ looked away briefly, then returned her eyes to Harry's, "I.. I think... I think I'm in love with you."_

_She lowered her eyes as the impact of what she had said hit her. She was blushing extremely brightly, a lurid shade of red, she couldn't look in his eyes or she'd melt._

_Kindly, Harry placed his hand on her cheek and gently turned her head to face his._

_"Not all love is unrequited."_

_Hermione's mouth shot open from the mere shock of his words. Closing the already small gap between them, Harry covered her mouth with his and wrapped his hands around her, feeling her soft hair and smooth back._

Their love for one another, however platonic or not, was a weapon he could sense working its magic on Voldemort as his hold on Harry began to weaken, allowing him to more fully drown himself in the memories he cherished.  
_  
__Harry walked toward Umbridge's body and pulled their wands from her lose grasp, offering Hermione hers with an open hand._

_"We did it." she breathed, tucking her wand behind her ear as he had known Luna to do. Without any thought she threw her arms around him and gave him a quick peck on the lips and smiled._

_Her eyes widened, then she cleared her throat, backing away suddenly, nervously brushing herself off._

_"As friends." she mumbled, realizing what she'd just done. He nodded as they Blinked back into their Defense teacher's office to see the room in total shambles._

He laughed softly at that occasion. Hermione had reacted instinctively, kissing him in a friendly fashion, forgetting his past discomfort with that sort of action. It was something he'd brushed off to the side, something she seemed to free her mind of instantly. It was something he could never forget, something he'd now be okay with having more of. He was more mature now and understood that not all kisses must be backed with lust.

_"I SAID, WHERE IS SHE!?" his voice cracked, he was not about to lose Pansy to this... monster._

_Lucius bared his teeth and shot a glowing white spell at Harry. Ginny, out of instinct, jumped in front of him and took the full blast of it._

_He heard at least three ribs break. Ginny winced._

So loyal, so courageous. This was the Ginny he'd known. He hadn't known her as well as he now found himself wishing he had, because he'd distanced himself from her to prevent from developing any feelings for her when he was with Pansy.

She was so, so loyal. Her loyalty brought her death today, but, for the first time, rather than feel sad, Harry felt proud, proud that she could be so good a friend, when all he'd done was brush her aside.

_"PANSY, WHERE ARE YOU?" Harry screeched._

_There was no response. Harry was fast flying toward hysterics, crying and screaming her name repeatedly._

_Ginny refused to let Harry wallow in his own sorrow. Taking a firm hand, she gave him a much-needed backhand slap, then took him into a hug._

_"Be strong for her, Harry. She needs you."_

_Harry sobbed into Ginny's shoulder. For some reason, she was always there to comfort him when he needed it. He never understood why. _

Of course, he hadn't then, but he knew now. She was in love with him, had always been in love with him till her dying breath.

_Libra walked around her defeated opposition and smiled. Throwing herself on Harry, wrapping her legs around his waist for support, she brought herself up to his eye level, kissed his forehead and unstunned him as he fell backward onto an empty seat on the couch._

_Harry grunted as his back smashed into the cushions, but allowed himself to kiss Libra's forehead._

_"You're lucky you're light," Harry whined playfully, "you could have broken me."_

_"Well, Daddy, you're just getting to be an old man." she teased, pulling on his cheek affectionately._

_"Old man?" he whined, "I'm fifteen! I'm only three years older than you are!"_

_She chuckled and got up off of him, sauntering over to Nick and taking his hand._

Harry knew Libra's personality was nothing she'd learned from her family at home. Her rough experiences where enough to drive anyone over the edge, to turn someone as bitter and hateful as Lord Voldemort himself, but something had saved her from casting herself over that edge.

Libra was kind and understanding, passionate, both when it came to love and when it came to hate, as she so eloquently exhibited as she'd thrown her brother from the stands for a snide comment he'd made against Pansy and Harry after the maze challenge.

He smiled internally at the hope that he could, perhaps soon, adopt her as his own daughter. And his heart spun wildly when he found her voice joining Hermione's in his thoughts, tearing in happiness despite his pains. Nearly laughing at how giddy this was making him, knowing that it was tearing Voldemort apart, and that'd he not hold on much longer.

_On the way to breakfast that morning, Harry's thoughts stay thoroughly focused on their revelation. He had slowed bringing Ron and Hermione to breakfast just long enough to meet Pansy at the doors to the Great Hall._

_Ron and Hermione glared ferociously at Pansy and her accompaniment. Harry smiled and walked toward her quietly._

_"Need a reminder, Potter?" hissed Malfoy, popping his knuckles menacingly as he pulled his hand into a fist. Pansy walked to Harry in a seductive stroll._

_"Watch yourself, Parkinson." shot Ron, drawing his wand._

_Pansy looked up into Harry's eyes and wrapped her arm around his neck._

_"Oh, I think he remembers." Harry followed suit and wrapped his arms around her, caressing her cheeks as they sneaked down her side and around her waist._

_Ron gagged. Hermione's jaw shot open, exposing her abnormally large teeth._

_"What the ruddy hell?" said Draco, his mind spinning in every direction._

_As Pansy moved her free hand up to his cheek, she pulled Harry closer, ran her fingers through his hair and gave him the most sensual, heat-stopping, animated kiss she could muster._

_Ron could barely speak, yet, somehow managed to, perhaps it was his outrage..._

_"You're kissing a Slytherin?" he fussed, his eyes open wide in terror more than surprise._

"_You should try it some time." said Harry, cradling Pansy in his arms. "This one is quite tasty." he whispered into Pansy's ear. She blushed a lurid shade of red, but kept composure,_

_"I"m taken," she said lucidly, "But they're available." she added, pointing in turn to each of her Slytherin acquaintances. Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy's faces all contorted with disgust.  
_  
Harry heard himself laugh aloud. Her sense of humour was something he'd always adore. She was always there for him when he needed a smile, a kiss, a hug, things he'd never had the fortune to experience as a younger child, things he hoped to be able to give Libra as she continued her ascent to womanhood. Thoughts of his memory flooded his mind, he could sense Voldemort beginning to pull away, torn between trying to inflict more pain and letting go to relieve his own.

"_Then I declare you man and wife." said Dumbledore happily, "You may kiss the bride."_

_"About time!" Pansy squeaked, earning a knowning smirk from Dumbledore as Harry lifted her veil greedily and crashed his lips upon hers._

_She was now Pansy Marie Potter. His lawfully wedded wife and the one thing that mattered more to him than anything in the whole of the universe._

"Harry, we're here for you." the voices of Pansy, Libra, and Hermione all echoed in his mind. Trying as hard as he could to force Voldemort from his mind, Harry spoke calmly through his bloody teeth,

"I feel sorry for you, Tom." his heart soared, his mind filling with pity for the vile creature inside of him, "You will never know love or friendship. And for that, I feel sorry for you."

Speaking in step with him, Pansy and Libra joined in, continuing his words with him as he stood on shakily on his feet, his mind beginning to clear as he could almost make out his surroundings for the first time in what seemed like forever,

"Love is not a weakness, Tom. It is what keeps one going when there is nothing else left. It is the binding force that lets us all gather the courage to say _yes we can. Amor omnia vincit. _Love conquers all."

The shaking form of Lord Voldemort appeared beside the grates leading into the Ministry, his pained expression instantly replaced by one of loathing and disgust,

"You are a fool, Harry Potter." as he began his words, green flares shot up in several of the grates, Ministry witches and wizards arriving, first Percy Weasley, and several unfamiliar, then, the Minister himself, "And you will lose. _Everything_."

"He's back!" Fudge breathed as Voldemort vanished, the members of the Order racing into the room, the Death Eaters had clearly gone at the Dark Lord's command.

"No shit, sherlock." Hermione growled, folding her arms in an annoyed huff as Pansy wrapped her arms around her husband, kissing him passionately, desperately. His own love entering the kiss as he deepened it, those once unawares at the Minstry took realization that Harry, ring glistening on his hand as he embraced the love of his life, was happily married, and that the Prophet had missed out on some very, very big news.

A camera flash went off, and Harry knew it was time to break to get some air, turning toward the Minister, he shot him a fierce glare, mentally repeating the words, "You're fired. Get the hell out of your office." Pansy and Libra echoing silent giggles as the Minister stood dumbstruck in the wrecked atrium of the very headquarters of the Ministry of Magic itself.

* * *

**A/N:  
See the Chapter Release schedule on my profile (or in the Forums under "News", there you will also see new information regarding the sequel) to see when each new chapter will release! All remaining chapters to this story will release tonight (OCT 31). The SEQUEL to this story and final part in this series, "Apotheosis", will have its first chapter release at midnight PST, simultaneous with the release of chapter 40 of this story.**

**As always, I want to hear what you think, please review!**


	39. Mourning and Morning

* * *

**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-nine – Mourning and Morning  
**

* * *

Harry hated this, the feeling of behind pulled at from behind his navel, but seeing as it was the only way to travel back to Hogwarts they could muster in their weakened states, Harry took hold of the small object and landed alongside many other members of the Defense Association in the Headmaster's office, staying in it with the pretense of a conversation with the old man.

Pansy and Libra stayed behind, Pansy to stay by her husband's side, and Libra because of the need to speak with the Headmaster as well.

As Snape, McGonagall, Sinistra ushered the various students from the room, the three remaining took their seats and waited for his arrival.

About ten minutes later, when he finally did arrive in a flash of red, Fawkes returning to his stoop, he positioned his glasses right on his face again and took a seat across from them.

Taking in the only slightly varying expressions of the people before him, Dumbledore turned to Harry and spoke in a calm, quiet way,

"I know how you feel, Harry."

All three of the students echoed one another's words as they leant forward in their chairs slightly, giving the man a look eerily crossing between pain and anger,

"No, you don't."

Harry could sense the slight awkwardness Dumbledore was feeling with Libra present, but lost touch with the feeling as extreme guilt poured inside him, remembering the terrible result of the Ministry encounter,

"It's my fault, my fault she's dead."

"No, the fault is mine." said Dumbledore, clasping his hands together and leaning forward on his desk, "I knew it was only a matter of time before Voldemort recognized the connection between you for what it was and used it against you." he closed his eyes and sighed, "That's why I tried so hard to have Professor Snape teach you in Occlumency."

Harry snorted,

"Yeah, well Libra was a far better teacher."

"She might have been," he agreed, "but the gesture was there nonetheless."

"The gesture didn't save Ginny's life." Harry retorted, starting angrily at the man, digging his nails into the arms of the chair as he became increasingly angry, "Hell, if it weren't for Pansy, Libra, and Hermione he'd have made me shrivel up and die on the spot,_sir._"

There was a brief moment of silence before Harry spoke again,

"Do you have any idea what it's like being inside somebody's mind when they die?"

Dumbledore didn't speak, but, instead, shook his head.

"No. You don't. 'Cause we're not supposed to know. No one but the person dying is supposed to know." Harry said desperately, his voice calm despite himself, "It's like an archway, just like the one in the Department of Mysteries. You can feel the person's life fading, their heart slowing, their tears falling. Your breathing stops, both of you, and as you feel them drifting away, something tugs at you... tries to pull you in with them." The tears were flowing again as Pansy put her arm on his comfortingly, intertwining her small fingers with his, "Part of you yearns to follow them, to know what's on the other side. And not going, it hurts. Your heart goes cold... and part of you, the better part of you, dies."

When Dumbledore stared blankly at him and did not respond, Libra spoke up,

"What about Sirius," she asked hopefully, "he wasn't arrested, was he?"

"No," said Dumbledore calmly, glad for the change in subject, Harry had no idea just how much this death really did affect him, "After what the Order and I had to say, he was cleared of all charges and will receive a public apology."

"As is due." Harry said simply, everyone nodding in agreement.

"I can't stop wondering, sir," said Harry slowly, the anger dissipating, "the Prophecy, why was it so important? Why does Voldemort need it so badly?"

"I think that can be best answered in the Pensieve." he said simply standing and walking to the cabinet where the rune-enscribed artifact was held. Libra gave a quizzical quirking of the eyebrow in Harry's direction, but, when Harry nodded, she followed.

Dumbledore placed his wand to his temple, and, a silvery wisp of matter floated freely around its tip. Lowering it into the swirling essence already present he motioned them forward.

Harry took Libra's left hand in his, as _his_ left was already occupied with Pansy's. Taking a step forward, Harry was once again basked in the uneasy falling feeling when he landed beside Libra, Pansy, and Dumbledore in a dusty, old, creaky, yet seemingly familiar building. A small bed and a few chairs sat in the room, as did two people, younger versions of Albus Dumbledore and Sybill Trelawney.

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ..." her voice was raspy, her eyes were rolled back into her head as Harry watched, perhaps this was a third of her predictions that was to come true? "And the Dark Lord will mark him as equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives."_

As the memory ended, the stood once again in Dumbledore's office. Rather than releasing Libra's hand, he pulled her gently closer and put his arms around his girls lovingly, giving them a small hug before finally resting his head on Pansy.

"So, that means," said Pansy in a small voice, "that, in the end, one of them will have to kill the other?"

"Yes." he replied simply.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry said, a hint of betrayal in his voice. Dumbledore sunk back into his seat and sighed,

"For the same reason you tried to save Sirius, the same reason Ginny died to save you." Dumbledore said sadly, "After all these years, after all you've suffered, I didn't want to cause you any more pain."

"Well, sir." said Libra snidely, "You've certainly failed in that department."

Dumbledore ignored her kindly, choosing instead to finish what he'd started saying,

"I cared too much about you."

The room once again went quiet. Pansy looked back and forth between Libra and Harry, then spoke up,

"Speaking of caring, sir, Harry and I were wondering about what it takes to get a magical adoption."

"I take it that is why Ms. Malfoy is here?" he said with a sudden air of enlightenment.

"Yes." Harry said firmly kissing the top of Libra's head as he returned his gaze to his headmaster, "At home, her life is hell. We want to provide a heaven for her, instead."

Libra blushed slightly, resting her head cutely on Harry's chest.

"You'd need the signatures of each of her living parents." he began, turning to look at Libra, "Seeing as she took her father out of the picture tonight to save Sirius, that leaves her mother."

"Is there some way to bypass that law?" Harry said desperately, "The signatures, I mean."

Dumbledore shook his head and took a deep breath,

"I'm afraid not."

Libra looked greatly saddened, but Harry had pretty much known what the answer would be. Giving Libra a mental reassurance that she'd be safe this summer, the three stood and took their leave.

* * *

After a few days recovering in the Hospital Wing, the Defense Association was set free to once again wander the corridors of their beloved school, still saddened by the fact that they could not enjoy the days with Ginny, but relieved to find it once again as a home away from home.

Harry sat directly across from Hermione, Libra at his right side, sitting beside Nick, her ever-loyal boyfriend, and Pansy giggling at one of Lavender's jokes on her left (Yes, the two finally had come to tolerate and even somewhat like one another, despite Lavender's extreme initial dislike of her in third year.), the group sat eating their breakfast as the mail arrived, varying colors of owls flying down low, dropping package and letter alike.

The most conspicuous of the bunch, however, was a large, poorly-wrapped brown package that landed in front of Nick.

Before he had even a chance to lay a hand on it, the box exploded open, sending confetti and streamers all over the table, landing in drinks and food, causing a few gasp, shrieks, and fainting from people all around.

As the last of the coloured paper fell, a neatly packaged, shrink-wrapped box of what looked uncannily like sweets rested before him, with a small card.

Nick read it aloud,

_"Nick and Nicki,_

_We've enjoyed the many pranks we've managed to pull on you (and, you on us) during our last few years at Hogwarts._

_We've gone into business together with help from a good friend of ours and opened a shop in Diagon Alley. The sweets in the package are great for getting out of classes, they'll make you sick if you eat one end, and cure you when you eat the other._

_Be sure to come see us in Diagon Alley when you get your school supplies for next year,_

_Fred and George Weasley_

_Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes."  
_

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**A/N:  
See the Chapter Release schedule on my profile (or in the Forums under "News", there you will also see new information regarding the sequel) to see when each new chapter will release! All remaining chapters to this story will release tonight (OCT 31). The SEQUEL to this story and final part in this series, "Apotheosis", will have its first chapter release at midnight PST, simultaneous with the release of chapter 40 of this story.**

**As always, I want to hear what you think, please review!**


	40. Potter Manor

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**Beyond  
**_**Never Alone**_**, Book III**

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**Chapter Forty – Potter Manor  
**

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_"HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNS  
_Rita Skeeter

_The Ministry of Magic has been under the constant patrol of the Auror department since the recent break-in of Death Eaters, loyal supporters of You-Know-Who himself._

_Sources report that Harry Potter and a two groups of fighters met within the Ministry where a fight ensued, leading to the Deaths of four Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy, Rodolphus Lestrange, Marcus Yaxley, and Sierra McNabber, and Defense Association member Ginevra Weasley._

_When asked about the battle, Harry Potter, flat-out refusing to give a full interview, had only one thing to say, "Ginny Weasley died fighting bravely. Her sacrifice should be remembered for what it was, a brave, honourable, courageous thing to do, and should be a light to others to do what is right and fight for what they believe in, and what is right."_

_Shortly following the battle, Ministry officials encountered alleged mass-murderer Sirius Black who escaped from Azkaban two years before. When Aurors attempted to take him into custody, he was defended by roughly twenty full grown witches and wizards who testified of his innocence. Submitting to a Veritaserum test on top of a Legillimency test, Sirius Black revealed that the man he was supposed to have killed, Peter Pettigrew, faked his own death and transformed himself into a rat using the magical powers known as Animagusy. We at the Daily Prophet have been asked to remind you that unregistered Animagusy is illegal and an imprisonable offense._

_Ex-fugitive Albus Dumbledore was also present at the battle and has been recently reinstated as Hogwarts headmaster. Headmistress and High Inquisitor Dolores Jane Umbridge has been suspended pending a hearing and, if convicted for crimes of cruel and inhumane treatment of students, could face up to twelve years in Azkaban._

_Following this incident, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge has submitted his resignation. He says that, if he hadn't "the wizarding people would be screaming for it" anyhow, and that it was, perhaps, the wisest move of his career. Rufus Scrimgeour has been selected as the next Minister and will be sworn in Monday._

_For details surrounding funeral services for those lost in the battle, see page fourteen."_

Harry lowered the _Prophet _into his lap, taking a deep breath as he look at the girls resting their heads on each of his sides.

He was home now, not just at Hogwarts, but at the Potter Manor. Pansy lay on his left side, his arm wrapped lovingly around her waist as her head rested delicately on his shoulder. Her breaths were deep and calm, her body getting the first real sleep since the long and draining battle.

Libra rested, one arm sleepily wrapped around his waist and the other behind his neck as she slept, her face mashed slightly against his chest.

Now, Harry thought, with his family quite literally at his sides, was perhaps the best moment, best feeling he'd ever had.

His friends, it was true, were off at their own homes, enjoying their summer vacation as much as they could with the looming funeral and possibly grim return to Hogwarts.

Harry sighed as he closed his eyes as saw Ginny's face, looking at him peacefully as she stood in front of the Veil and, once again, stepped through, whispering her soft goodbyes as she gently faded away...

_THE END_

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**A/N: I hope that you all enjoyed this novel! Please review to tell me what you think!"  
**

**NOTE: THE SEQUEL'S OUT! ITS FIRST CHAPTER RELEASED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THIS CHAPTER! NAVIGATE TO MY PROFILE AND START THE STORY "APOTHEOSIS". BE SURE TO FAVORITE AND STORY ALERT EITHER ME OR THIS NEW ADDITION TO THE "NEVER ALONE" SERIES!**

**For those of you that have been following the Never Alone series, I want to thank you and ask for your continued support throughout book four, the final part in this series. Hope to see you reviewing, TML.**


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